Nurturing global students with character

Susan Natih, Jakarta

See me beautiful/Look for the best in me/It's what I really am/And all I want to be/It may take sometime/It may be hard to find/But see me beautiful

This song by the group Red Grammar gives voice to the pleas of children the world over and echoes the rights of all children to be loved and understood, as stated over thirty years ago in the United Nations Declaration of the Rights of the Child (1959). The Declaration also stated that all children have the right to play, to have an equal chance to be what they are, to learn to be responsible and useful and to be brought up in a spirit of peace and friendship.

For educators involved in the pursuit of character education and concerned particularly with the need to find an approach which is holistic and inclusive, the starting point must be with the child. The first two lines of the song by Red Grammar ask simply to "see me beautiful" and to "look for the best in me". There is an expression among the Maori of New Zealand: "I see you". To see a child in the light of his or her virtues is to nurture the moral champion within that child. To see a child as nothing more than a collection of problems tied together with strings of misbehavior, is to reinforce an already negative sense of self.

When we label the child as "troublesome" then we can expect troublesome behavior but when we look for a child's innate virtues, we are enabling that child to have self-esteem, to recognize what is good in himself/herself and empowering him/her to do good. An educator does not have to impose virtues from without but instead needs to awaken and strengthen virtues that are already there.

What do we mean by "virtue"? The word virtue comes from the Latin vir, which has a root meaning of "force" or "agency". In Latin the expression virtus moralis became the equivalent of the Greek arete ethike, "moral virtue" or "character excellence". The novelist Pearl Buck wrote, "The secret of joy in work is contained in one word-excellence. To know how to do something well is to enjoy it". Virtues help us to do our work better and to enjoy it more as a result. It is the disposition to think, feel and act in morally excellent ways and the putting into practice of this disposition. Our happiness or sadness depends not on our circumstances but on our dispositions (virtues). Parents and families are a child's first educators but teachers and schools also play a vital role in nurturing the seeds of virtue that are within each child.

While Red Grammar's song focuses on "seeing", a revived pop song by the band Boy Zone tells that " words are all I have to take your heart away." Indeed, the way we speak and the words we use, have great power. Early childhood learning focuses on communication and social interaction. This first stage of school life must immerse a child within a caring and richly integrated world of learning.

The development of literacy, a major focus of early childhood education, is closely interwoven with character-building and a child's sense of self-esteem; experiences during this segment of a child's school life have a profound effect on the subsequent stages of her/his education. Language is the vehicle for meaning, awakens character and shapes our children's self-esteem. Mahatma Gandhi said that a language is an exact reflection of the character and growth of its speakers and one certainly feels that it is language which shapes the culture of our homes, schools and workplaces. In seeking to create a culture of character at school, we need to use language that empowers children to find and act upon the best within themselves.

A teacher has great power to give a child inner strength or to destroy their spirit simply by using positive or negative words. We can deepen a child's sense of worthlessness by labeling them "lazy", "mean", "shy", or "stupid" or we can name their inner strengths and encourage and acknowledge their efforts to find virtues such as determination, respect, kindness and gentleness. It is so important for a teacher to find just one thing about each student to appreciate and enjoy. We all need to feel love and recognition, and a child who sees and feels that he/she matters to a teacher is also receiving a sense of their own value.

As educators, if we believe that character education is about helping children to know, love and do what is good, we must start by acknowledging their own innate goodness and then help them in coming to understand goodness itself and to know that goodness is not only what is right but also what is true and worthwhile in life. Throughout life our children will be faced with many choices and need to learn how to judge and choose well from options which all may appear attractive.

At the same time we need to help them love what is good, for example, concern for the needs of others, a job well done, true friendship. Loving what is good is about educating children's feelings so that they love the right things for the right reasons, for example, so that they learn to do their homework for the sake of learning rather than simply a grade. Moral maturity, ultimately is about leading a good life and the purpose of a true educator -- which literally means "one who leads forth" -- is to awaken the virtues that already exist within a child. Therefore, teachers must help students to see that doing good is the bottom line.

From birth to old age, as human beings, we are interdependent. We noted that a child's first experiences at school are very much concerned with communication and becoming a member of the wider social community. Becoming a member of a wider community than our family leads us to learn about the beliefs and cultural values that we share with others, to respect the thoughts and feelings of all and to understand that differences in faith and culture are part of the richness and diversity of life. This in turn opens windows to the world.

The writer is Executive Principal of the Central and Sevilla Schools. This article is written in a personal capacity.