page 2
daily nebraskan
friday, february 24, 1978
n opinion
Legislators, not teachers, assign education morality
Morality is controversial in the public
schools these days. Most people involved
parents, teachers and administrators-agree
that morals should be part of the. curri
culum. The controversy arises over whose
version of morality should be taught.
"There are some values that are gener
ally accepted in our society" and that the
.schools should teach, Associate Superin
tendent Ron Brandt said, as quoted by the
Lincoln Journal. But, "we ought not to be
heavy-handed and doctrinaire about it.
"Moral education is not indoctrination.
A poorly led discussion may be worse than
no discussion at all."
Sounds reasonable, but Brandt does not
account for one factor: State law requires
moral indoctrination that is both heavy
handed and doctrinaire.
Here are excerpts from state statutes:
"Each teacher . . . shall so arrange and
heroes," "the singing of patriotic songs and
the insistence that every pupil shall memor
ize the Star Spangled Banner and America"
and "the development of reverence for the
flag."
In two of the grades from fifth to
eighth, at least three periods a week are to
be devoted to teaching American history
"to develop a love of country."
In two grades in high school another
three periods a week must focus on the
state and federal constitution, the duties of
citizenship and "the benefits and advant
ages of our form of government and the
dangers and fallacies of Nazism, Commun
ism, and similar ideologies."
School boards, superintendents, teach
ers and the State Board of Education are
held responsible for carrying out the law.
If they don't-if, apparently, pupils can't
sing the multiple verses of the Star Spangl
ed Banner, if a teacher neglects for a few
days to point out the evils of Nazism or
bypasses a chance to plug flag-waving the
statute spells out the consequences.
Violation is a Class III misdemeanor,
which carries a fine of up to $500, a jail
term of up to three months or both.
This renders moot a good part of the
controversy over moral education. Edu
cators are trying to help students to
develop their own capacity for moral
reasoning, to weigh the evidence and come
to their own conclusions.
Wrong. The Legislature has long since
directed otherwise. The schools shall,
under penalty of law, hand students a pre
prepared, complete package of approved
morals and accepted opinions.
Salute when the flag goes by, boy.
3
present his instruction as to give special
emphasis to common honesty, morality,
courtesy, obedience to law, respect for the
national flag, the Constitution of the
United States, and the Constitution of the
State of Nebraska, respect for parents and
the home, the dignity and necessity for
honest labor, and other lessons of a steady
ing influence which tend to promote and
develop an upright and desirable citizenry.
". . . it is one of the first duties of our
educational system to (teach) the love of
liberty, justice, democraty, and America
"Every school board shall, at the begin
ning of each school year, appoint from its
members a committee of three, to be
known as the committee on Americanism
..." The committee is to approve use of
textbooks which "adequately stress the
services of the men who achieved our
national independence, established our
constitutional government, and preserved
our Union and shall be so written to in
clude contributions by ethnic groups as to
develop a pride and respect for our insti
tutions . . ."
Also, the committee is charged with
determining the character of teachers and
ensuring their "knowledge and acceptance
of the American form of government . . ."
Grades below sixth grade are legally
bound to devote at least one hour a week
to "the deeds and exploits of American
to tliocJitof I
Saturday the NU Board of Regents
adopted President Roskens' proposal to re
allocate Fund A through student fees. I
signed the ASUN-sponsored petition
against this amendment and was unhappy
with the result of the regent's meeting.
In a Monday editorial, the Daily Nebra
skan doubted the regents' suggestion that a
$1 box placed on tuition statements would
raise enough money to fund speakers.
However, $1 included with tuition pay
ment would be a lesser financial burden
than any pay-at-the-door plan.
On the premise that speakers provide
educational benefits otherwise unavailable
to many students, those who support
mandatory fees for speakers still would be
able to express their opinions through the
"buck box."
Because I favor a fees-supported speaker
UiulVS IV)
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program, I also advocate a buck box or
similar channel through which students can
afford to support the program.
Just as sports is physical education that
could not be funded solely by participants,
the speaker program is intellectual educa
tion whose cost cannot be borne only by
those wishing to expose themselves to
different ideas.
Kathy Jursch
Freshman business major
J 5 x 2 plus Dancers
Lecture - Demonstration
J Friday Feb. 24
3:30 in the Union Ballroom
W FREE ADMISSION
s
s
Also performing at
Kimball Hall
Sat. Feb. 25 - 8:00 P.M.
Sponsored by
Performing Arts Committee
3
5
Q
7
Innocents Society
Applications Due
March 1
Innocents
Society is the
13 .nember
senior honor
society. Members
are selected on the
basis of leadership
scholarship and service
Applications
' available in
Nebraska Union
200. the
Interfraternitv Council
office, the ASUN office,
Daily Nebraskan offices.
Union 222 and Ag Hall 101
(East Campus)
Application may be turned
in where they are available.
V
Founded 1903
