Very encouraging is the Jammu & Kashmir Government announcement on the introduction of moral education in schools across the state, but all depends on the implementation of the announcement by the school education department. As the announcement about the introduction of moral education in schools has come from people of different shades of opinion from time time , the concerns of the people on moral education have to be addressed by the Government particularly the school education department . Introduction of moral education in schools was debated and discussed many a times in the past and several civil society groups advised the government to take stringent measures for curbing the waywardness outside schools in the twin capital cities of Srinagar and Jammu and other major townships of Kashmir valley. It is an admitted fact that once children are taught morals in schools the possibilities of social bonding can be explored and above all such a decision would help the government to lay the foundation for a healthy society in Jammu & Kashmir state. Though some civil society groups in Kashmir have been talking about the introduction of moral education in schools and colleges but power wielding politicians and bureaucrats don’t bother to pay any heed to the demand for the introduction of moral education in schools across the state. People are upset to see the power wielding politicians and bureaucrats tending to empower themselves rather than empowering the society at large. In fact the big question for schools is that how to inculcate moral values among the students in schools. It is going to be a big question for the heads of the institutions who are experiencing different kinds of behavioral and attitudinal changes among the students since last several years in almost all the three regions of the state.
As teachers tend to use moral sayings, moral stories, and different type’s cultural activities to enhance the level of moral education, it is understood that government has to take care of the whims and wishes of both the teachers and the parents before introducing moral education in schools.
Generally the feeling brewing among the people is that modernization in almost all spheres of public life have changed the behavior of the people of all ages and children in schools are worst hit by the trends of modernity. The behavioural changes among the children in schools are however attributed to the effect of improper care by parents as the parents have to be conscious about the effect of behavioural changes on children in view of the growing waywardness and changing family environment in almost all parts of the state. The law makers who are obliged to invoke legislations for establishing a healthy society never tend to take care of the negative effects of the behavioural changes among the children in the state. Before introducing moral education in schools the school education department are obliged to look into the causes of the depreciation in moral values as the good moral values can be developed among the students in schools by teachers more effectively. Generally Moral Education is not a specific subject for schools but it is taught under different subjects like languages, literature, supplementary reading books etc. Moral Education is taught as a separate subject like moral Science in schools. Though undeniable fact is that the textbooks and syllabus fulfill the needs of moral values but a teacher while teaching moral education has to update the children about the fastly changing family environments. As teachers tend to use moral sayings, moral stories, and different type’s cultural activities to enhance the level of moral education, it is understood that government has to take care of the whims and wishes of both the teachers and the parents before introducing moral education in schools.
