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EDUCATION 437-4

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ETHICAL ISSUES IN EDUCATION

Intersession, 1991

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Instructor:

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Dr. C. Hamm

(May 6 - June 14)

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Office: ?

MPX8528

Tuesday & Thursday, 5:00 - 9:20 p.m.

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Telephone:

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291-3643

Location: MPX 7504

PREREQUISITE:

60 hours of credit

COURSE DESCRIPTION

This course is concerned with identifying and examining moral and ethical issues in

education. Three broad areas of concerns are explored. (1) The normative character

of education as a whole and its justification. Questions like the following will be

examined: Is the God-like role of education in setting goals for children morally

tenable? Can there be a value-free education? Does the contemporary shift to informal

modes of education remove the moral problem? What justification is there for selection

of compulsory curriculum content in education? Have we the right to force children to

go to school? (2) Questions related to problems of equality of educational opportunity,

autonomy, interpersonal relationships, and rights in education. What is the place for

the exercise of authority in education? Is discipline and punishment in schools

warranted? Who ought to control schools? What rights do children, teachers and

parents have? (3) The meaning and nature of moral education. What is the status of

moral judgements? Are moral principles "objective"? When is a principle a moral

principle? Can values be taught? Should they be? How do some recent theories of moral

education (values clarification, developmental theories) fare under careful

examination? Is moral education without indoctrination possible?

The course is intended for those who want to think hard and argue about these kinds of

questions. It should be valuable to teachers, administrators, counsellors and all

serious students of education.

COURSE REQUIREMENTS

1. Participation in seminars through formal and informal presentations from time to

time. (20%)

2.

A mid-term examination based on required readings. (40%)

3.

A term paper of about 10 typewritten pages on a relevant topic approved by the

instructor. (40%)

REQUIRED TEXT

D.B. Cochrane, C.M. Hamm & A.C. Kazepides (eds.). The Domain of Moral

Education. Paulist Press and O.I.S.E., 1979. (Obtainable from instructor)

ESSAYS AND ARTICLES:

As prescribed by Instructor.

N.B. Also offered at Graduate level as Educ. 833-5,

Seminar in Social &

Moral