As extended families and communities are giving way to digital isolation, moral education is part of the collateral damage. Without deep exploration of larger consequences for the greater good, it’s easy to fall into the self-centered logic of “What’s in it for me?”
In The Atlantic, Paul Barnwell states that, “The pressures of national academic standards have pushed character education out of the classroom” and asks, “By omission, are U.S. schools teaching their students that character, morality, and ethics aren’t important in becoming productive, successful citizens?”
Indeed, according to a Josephson Report Card on the Ethics of American Youth, the majority of teens questioned said that successful people do what they have to do to win, even if it involves cheating.
On the other hand, in my recent article, Lost and Found in Japan, we saw that most Japanese are avidly honest, although they, too, suffer from a deteriorating familial and social fabric. This begs the question: What makes them different?
Morality has long been a part of education in Japan. In a special weekly class from first through ninth grades, teachers often used stories or current student issues to stimulate thought-provoking discussion and reflection so that together the pupils could contemplate the right course of action.
Due to the changing circumstances, however, these informal sessions were deemed insufficient and as of this year, 2018, Dotoku (morality) has been instituted as a standardized class complete with textbook.
I was curious what Japan's Ministry of Education webpage had to say about their approach to moral education and thought you might be too.
“The goal of Morality education” it says, “is to nurture morality in emotions, judgment, motivation and actions. Based on this goal, in close relationship with each subject class, foreign language activity, general, and special activities, this curriculum is intended to augment, deepen and integrate the values of integrity by systematic and developmental guidance, and encourage self-awareness of morality and deepen the student’s idea of his/her own life, and nurture practical skills of morality within him- or her-self.”
As an example, this is the curriculum for fifth and sixth graders:
I. Relationship with self
a. Learn the importance of daily routines and reflect it in your lifestyle. Be moderate and temperate.
b. Set a high goal with hope and courage and be persistent.
c. Cherish your freedom and take responsive autonomous action.
d. Cherish the truth, seek innovation, and improve your life creatively.
e. Know your own characteristics. Diligently correct what is bad and grow what is good.
II. Relationship with others
f. Consider time, place and occasion; interact with others politely and sincerely.
g. Be kind to anyone with whom you come in contact. Imagine yourself in their place and have empathy for them.
h. Trust one another, deepen friendship by learning from one another. Learn to help each other and cooperate.
i. Be grateful and sensitive to the fact that your day to day life is built on the support and help of others.
III. Relationship with nature and supernatural
j. Learn to know that life is priceless and respect your life as well as others’.
k. Learn to know the magnificence of nature and take good care of the natural environment.
l. Be moved by beauty and be in awe of that which is beyond the power of humans.
IV. Relationship with groups and society
m. Have morality, observe the laws and rules, respect your rights and those of others, fulfill your obligations willingly.
n. Treat everyone without discrimination or prejudice and be fair and just. Do your best to exhibit justice.
o. Participate in your local group and be aware of your role. Be cooperative and fulfill your obligation autonomously.
p. Understand the meaning of work. Learn to know the joy of service, give service to the public.
q. Respect and love your parents and grandparents. In pursuit of happiness for the family, be willing and useful.
r. Deepen your respect and love for teachers and people at school, create a better school culture by cooperating with one another.
s. Take good care of your local and country culture. Learn to know the effort of your predecessors and learn to love your hometown and country.
t. Have a mindset to cherish people of foreign countries and their culture, promote a good relationship with people from all over the world with an awareness of being Japanese.
To see the full elementary school curriculum, click here: Dotoku - Education in Morality
