From moral values to civic virtue : character education for the 21st century

Educating for character has been a predominant theme in democratic history. Plato and Aristotle, the Puritans and colonial America, John Dewey and the Progressives all believed that society has a duty to ensure moral knowledge in its citizens. Citing moral decline and the failure of some recent efforts, character education has developed into a system of civic virtue based on the common morality of a democratic society. Programs, funded by federal dollars, are even now finding their way into school systems around the United States. While modern character education already has its post-modern critics, it is still difficult to deny the pivotal role schools play in the formation of values in today\u27s youth