Character building should be a priority

Over the past three decades, in particular, education, both at school and higher levels, shifted from focus on character building to building information and knowledge.

Both are important, but perhaps the former is more important, especially these days.

In the “good” old days of school and university education, our institutions of education paid almost equal attention to character and knowledge building.

There was much emphasis, though at times in severe and even abusive ways, on student behaviour, habits, manners and attitudes.

And there was much emphasis, though in traditional and even old-fashioned ways, on student learning and academic achievement.

Today, the latter has not only overshadowed the former, it almost replaced it entirely.

In what actually goes on at schools and universities, and in the literature written about what is or should be happening in both contexts, the concern is primarily, if not exclusively, with what students do or do not know.

We see little and hear little about the quality of students’ conduct and character.

In the past three to four years, for example, discourse about students’ performance in early school years, both by Ministry of Education officials and by interested individuals and groups in our society, centred on students’ academic literacy — even “illiteracy” as the ministry declared on several occasions.

Hardly anything was mentioned about students’ learning habits, their conduct, their personal traits, their learning skills, their life skills, their interaction with their peers and others, etc., which, at this early stage of character building, are more important than information or knowledge.

The ministry’s “shock” was at how little the students know and how many students are not able to even “read and write”.

We heard no shock, however, about the inadequacy, even absence, of attention to students’ conduct and preparedness to learn or deal with each other and with others.

Over the past three to four years, also, we have been hearing, from both ministry officials and other stakeholders, about curricula and about students’ performance in international tests.

By contrast, we hear very little about the quality of students’ character traits.

And here is where we have a major flaw — perhaps Achilles’ heel.

Yes, we want our students to read and write well. We want them to know a lot about many matters in today’s complex world, and we want them to do well in national or international exams.

But we also — perhaps more importantly — want them to master the skills and to have the personal traits that enable them to succeed in society and in life, and to contribute to the positive development of their nation and the globe.

Just as we need knowledgeable, competent students in the various disciplines, we also need disciplined, law-abiding, responsible, courteous, positive, constructive citizens.

At this latter level, there is a clear deficit and a real problem, which we see manifested, at times tragically, in so many daily situations and settings: picnic sites, public squares, markets, school yards, university campuses, traffic, weddings, violence, terror, etc.

Time to restore balance to our school and university education by focusing equally on knowledge and on character building.