Making Values a daily course

 “Grade 3 ka na?”

“Kung Grade 3 ka na, kanina pa nagsimula ang klase.”

Lex's classmates met him at a classroom’s doorway. He was overwhelmed in shyness that he cannot respond to any of them. What amused me most were the cynical queries raised by these children, as if they did not march together in a closing ceremony few months ago.

Unlike in Grade 2 when children attended school half a day, he will devote more hours in school this year.

Posted on the left side of the doorway was a paper signed by the school head. It details schedule of subjects and their respective teachers.

Values. First subject and it’s a daily course.  I immediately felt the desire of the institution to mould children become good persons; to nurture them become better decision-makers; or, to capacitate them distinguish good against bad deeds from the moralist purview.

Great! The subject should not be considered as mere supplemental course in classroom instruction or in a spiritual formation center of churches. With the complexity of society, the ever changing dynamism of family and the magnitude of media influence on child’s thought or behavior, values education should not be underrated.

Through values education, the child learns the fundamental of pamatasan (good behavior). This isn’t just about the saying of po, opo, thank you, being helpful, cooperative, or doing the pagmamano --the Filipino way of respecting the elders. It is helping them opt the best among good choices; calibrate self when challenges arise; and, censure character and sensitivities when an act produce a null consequence or when it’s leading nowhere. It will also mould them appreciate the culture that define their identities as citizen.

Every child grows up into an adult, mainstream their selves in a community, relate with others, eventually go into a workplace, communicate with friends or associates, and makes decision everyday. Without values education, they may result to extremism when they lack temperance and patience; may not be able to appreciate differences; run into conflict with anyone for some reason; exhibit behavioural problems (which may include bullying); and, may become outlaws if they will not recognize social limitations and policies.

Copied this from Goodtheraphy.com but its originally

designed by the art signatory

As social being, these children will become future inventors, policy-makers, artists, political philosophers, social media leaders, legal advocates, sociologists, humanitarian workers, business managers or our agriculturists. The way they’re bound to utilize their skills, knowledge, and decisions, as integral part of complex organization, require ethics and values as regulators in workplaces or even in emphatically intervening on issues.  This will help them realize avoid becoming corrupt leaders, to stay-off from vices, and know limits in social relations. 

Perhaps, when they will have the opportunity to hold power, values will help them realize not to become abusive on others nor maximize authority as a political machination to influence followers.