Ethics and Etiquette in Public Schools

March 5, 2001.

American heritage of rugged individualism has prevented realization of the impact of changing times. Now, technology has diminished our ability to maintain the distance from others demanded by the old fashioned rugged individualism. In the modern times, we get rewarded by the good relationship we have with others. We get returns from the services we provide for others. The greater the number of people served the greater are the returns.

While we are experiencing that inter-dependence may be even more fulfilling than independence, we also note that the deviant and the maladjusted can cause disproportionately high negative impact on too many of us to ignore.

In spite of the fact that the necessity for morality, ethics, and etiquette has been felt increasingly, the emphasis on this aspect of education has been ignored. Repeatedly, behavioral studies have confirmed that human behavior is learned and, hence, can be guided, we have continued to ignore education in the area of human behavior.

President Bush has initiated a commendable effort to improve the quality of our public schools. The School Districts should make use of the opportunity to include lessons in ethics and etiquette in the educational curriculum of the schools.

Lessons in societal ethics and social etiquette would not be in conflict with the principle of the separation of the Church and the State. Freedom of religion never meant freedom from morality. Ethics and etiquette, based on public morality, are not a monopoly of any one religion. If ethics and etiquette represent the essence of the common values of all religions designed for the good of the humanity, both the government and the religious institutions should be supportive of including education in ethics and etiquette in our public schools.

Knowledge and ethics together make a powerful building block for the society. Knowledge without ethics can be dangerous. Ethics without knowledge can be useless.

I urge the Federal and the State governments as well as the religious institutions to encourage inclusion of education in ethics and etiquette in our public schools.

First, we must have zero tolerance for the school gangs. Otherwise, they will “leave no child behind”.