Character Education: Implications for Critical Democracy

Abstract

The character education policy of a school board in Ontario, Canada, is interrogated from a critical democratic perspective.  Character education is the deliberate effort by schools to teach values to students.  An analysis of 181 documents shows that the policy advocates a traditional approach to character education by promoting a set of values it deems universal.  Suggested teaching methods include direct instruction, modeling, practice, and serving others.  I argue that the policy's traditional approach limits opportunities for students to learn to value diverse perspectives, consider the complexity of morality and decision-making, and develop a disposition towards critical thinking and a view of themselves as social actors.  I conclude that this policy and other traditional approaches to character education must be abandoned if public schools are to reflect democratic commitments to equality, diversity, active participation in decision-making, critical-mindedness, and social justice, and the common good.