Thesis on Education in United States

Statistics in the United States appear to echo Roosevelt’s sentiments concerning character education. A 1992 report of the National Research Council states that the United States leads all industrialized nations in violence. The United States “does not need to make its children first in the world in mathematics and science”.

Instead, she argues that caring for our children should be a priority with an emphasis being placed upon reducing violence, respecting honest work, and rewarding excellence to ensure each child and young adult a place in the economic and social world. Education should be encouraging the growth of “competent, caring, loving, and lovable people”. As the United States approaches the year 2020, signs of moral decay are prevalent in almost every spectrum of society.

The National Research Council reports that television and movies are encouraging our young people to explore sexual activity at early age. The facts that children are being sexually abused, families are breaking down, and one in five children is considered to be poor are just a few of the reasons cited for the need to include character education in our schools.

Schools are now having to teach children the values that they are not learning at home and more than ever are realizing the need for school to become a caring moral community that affords children the opportunity to focus on their work to become responsible students

Troubling trends in youth character have been listed as another reason for the renewed interest in character education. Young people being affected adversely by poor parenting skills and growing up in a hostile moral environment have been cited as causes for increasing problems among America’s youth.