"The Jubilee Centre for Character and Virtue defines character education as “all the explicit and implicit educational activities that help young people to develop positive personal character strengths or virtues.” Examples of positive personal character strengths, or virtues, include honesty, resilience, courage, perseverance and compassion. The aim of character education is to equip children and young people to lead flourishing lives, by supporting them to develop these traits."
-https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2019/03/14/character-education-2/
-https://www.teachertoolkit.co.uk/2019/03/14/character-education-2/
"In our book, we make the case that the virtue ethics philosophy underpinning much character education work in Britain can reasonably be criticised for its inherent vagueness as a guide to behaviour. Interestingly, however, in our research we found that the actual teaching resources produced by character educators are anything but vague and can be criticised for quite the opposite reason. Our research shows that these resources appear to be driven by ‘transmission-based’ forms of learning, in which the teacher possesses the ‘correct’ answers to various moral and political questions towards which they guide students, rather than seeking to promote genuine critical reflection and the development of students’ own answers to such questions. As a consequence, such lessons are likely to be individualistic, de-politicised, paternalistic and rather conservative."
-Jerome and Kisby, https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/halting-the-rise-of-character-education-in-britain
-Jerome and Kisby, https://www.bera.ac.uk/blog/halting-the-rise-of-character-education-in-britain
יִרְאַ֣ת יְ֭הוָה רֵאשִׁ֣ית דָּ֑עַת חָכְמָ֥ה וּ֝מוּסָ֗ר אֱוִילִ֥ים בָּֽזוּ׃ (פ)
The fear of God is the beginning of knowledge; Fools despise wisdom and discipline.
1] What is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?
2] Why is the "fear of God" the beginning of knowledge?
3] Do you agree?
2] Why is the "fear of God" the beginning of knowledge?
3] Do you agree?
(ח) שְׁמַ֣ע בְּ֭נִי מוּסַ֣ר אָבִ֑יךָ וְאַל־תִּ֝טֹּ֗שׁ תּוֹרַ֥ת אִמֶּֽךָ׃
(8) My son, heed the discipline of your father, And do not forsake the instruction of your mother;
1] What is the difference between discipline and instruction?
2] Why do you think one is associated with fathers and the other with mothers?
3] Why do you think Proverbs locates education within the family?
2] Why do you think one is associated with fathers and the other with mothers?
3] Why do you think Proverbs locates education within the family?
שמע בני מוסר אביך. מה שנתן הקב"ה למשה בכתב ועל פה:
Hearken, my son, to the discipline of your father What the Holy Blessed One gave Moses in writing and orally.
אמך. אומתך כנסת ישראל כמו (יחזקאל י״ט:ב׳) מה אמך לביאה והם דברי סופרים שחדשו והוסיפו ועשו סייגים לתורה:
your mother Heb. אמך [like אמתך], your nation, the nation of Israel, as in (Ezek. 19:2): “What a lioness was your mother [meaning your nation]!” These are the words of the Scribes, which they innovated and added and made safeguards for the Torah.
1] How does Rashi change the meaning of the verse from proverbs? How does he understand 'father' and 'mother'?
2] Where does Rashi locate the education of children?
3] Do you prefer Rashi's version or the pshat (straightforward reading) of the text?
2] Where does Rashi locate the education of children?
3] Do you prefer Rashi's version or the pshat (straightforward reading) of the text?
(ו) חֲנֹ֣ךְ לַ֭נַּעַר עַל־פִּ֣י דַרְכּ֑וֹ גַּ֥ם כִּֽי־יַ֝זְקִ֗ין לֹֽא־יָס֥וּר מִמֶּֽנָּה׃
(6) Train a child in the way they ought to go; They will not swerve from it even in old age.
1] According to this verse, why is it important to teach children when they are young?
2] What kind of teaching do you think Proverbs is thinking about?
3] Do you think this verse is true?
2] What kind of teaching do you think Proverbs is thinking about?
3] Do you think this verse is true?