What Should Teachers Focus More: Character Education or Academic Education?

  One of DSKUSSS(Democratic Society of Korean U.S. Studies Specialists) members is shwoing his interest on education. Just take a look and give your thoughts on this posting through comments. :)

 

 

<What Should Teachers Focus More: Character Education or Academic Education?>

 

Cha Sumin

Korea National University of Education

Dept. of English Education

  

As schools are not considered the place where students merely memorize tons of words anymore, teachers are suffering from balancing two aims: character education and academic education. Character education refers to teachers’ effort to enhance the way students deal with others, introspect themselves, and react to diverse unexpected events. Academic education, on the other hand, focuses more on concrete knowledge so that students get ready to have occupation and contribute to social development. Even though one cannot outweigh the other, it is hardly possible for teachers to accomplish both aims due to limitation such as school hours. Then on which aim should teachers give more attention? There cannot be a definite answer, but it is meaningful to take this question into account, especially if you are to be a teacher.

 

Martha Nussbaum, an American philosopher, lays particular stress on character education saying “Nations all over the world will soon be producing generations of useful machines, rather than complete citizens who can think for themselves, criticize tradition, and understand the significance of another person’s sufferings and achievements.” Others who put emphasis on character education insist that people are not empty piggy banks supposed to be filled by handed-down contents, but being who are able to express their ideas to communicate with others. They also point out that character education is a lot easier to accomplish since it does not require elaborately scheduled lesson plans, but can frequently be realized through subtle arrangements including communicative activities and adjusting classroom arrangements.

 

Those who place priority on academic education, by contrast, argue that teachers are the only ones who are capable of conveying academic contents. In other words, while character education could be achieved not only by teachers but also by parents or peers, academic education could only be realized by teachers. In addition, they point out that society cannot work well unless there are intelligent people with abundant academic knowledge since every field around us is based upon concrete knowledge. Students must be soaked with academic knowledge during school life because those who drive our society in a more progressive way are not good and kind people, but those who are equipped with practical knowledge, they say. They also insist impossibility to gauge character education, which is significantly important in motivating students.

 

The point is not on selecting one education but on balancing the two, hence the term “focus more.” As shown above, there is not a predominant position, and it means it is teachers’ responsibility to mix them properly. If a teacher thinks students are satisfying minimum academic achievement, then the teacher may emphasize more on character education and vice versa. That is, what is important to teachers is to keep in mind that they are not ones who are specialized in one specific area; students require both character and academic education. Again, it is never an easy task but that’s what teachers are supposed to do. Bearing in mind the importance of character and academic education, they should always be ready to adjust where to put more stress.