When we think about the meaning of the word educationit is very likely that we relate this word to the way in which people adopt some rules and conventions that keep society together, work techniques and pieces of knowledge about what the world is like.
However, There is a type of education that goes far beyond this technical learning: Education in values
The concept of education in values is very broad, but in general terms it refers to the set of strategies and relationship dynamics that aim to train in civility and models of coexistence based on respect, empathy and equality.
This means that it goes far beyond teaching subjects related to the functioning of nature and societies. If these first subjects tell us about the “what” and the “how”, education in values tells us about the “why”.
Like education in values It is related to the ethical scale and the values that serve to order priorities also influences the way in which people set goals to achieve through the knowledge they learn in other subjects.
Topics covered from education in values
This form of education has various fronts open on which students (or, rather, apprentices) will try to reflect and debate. These are the main ones:
The idea that all human beings are equal It is essential to develop inclusive moral systems. However, it is not always easy to know what practical implications this moral principle has. Education in values invites us to think about what equality means and what types of behaviors go against it.
The idea that all human beings are equal is not only one of the foundations of democracy, but also makes social adaptation and compliance with the rules of coexistence possible.
Empathy
Although it may seem like it at first, educating in values does not consist of teaching what the laws and customs by which society is governed: someone with strong psychopathic traits would also be capable of doing that. Educating in values consists, among other things, of assuming an ethical scale in which commitment to society and empathy They help define the objectives of our actions.
Putting yourself in someone else’s shoes both cognitively and emotionally improves your ability to manage conflicts and understand different points of view.
The ethical circles
From education in values we also reflect on the breadth of our ethical circles, that is, those groups that include individuals, groups and elements that must be protected especially.
Respect for animals is also a topic that is addressed here, and can serve to generate reflections on the rights of non-human forms of life.
Preservation of the environment
The environment is not only a set of resources, it is also our habitat, and it needs joint protection. That is why The relationship we have with nature is fundamental in values education; On the one hand, it encourages us to think about a problem that must be addressed jointly and that therefore depends on a joint civic commitment, and on the other hand, it allows us to develop sensitivity towards problems that go far beyond oneself and even beyond the people one knows and appreciates.
Knowing how to detect personal or collective situations in which we are at a disadvantage is essential to develop sensitivity towards certain types of demands that would not have much importance for us as we are not directly affected. This is the case of the needs of ethnic minorities or homosexuals discriminated against by the law and by treatment.
How to develop education in values?
Education in values is not simply a specific subject that must be taught in educational centers; It must be transversal and affect the way of doing things not only of all teachers as a whole, but also the way in which the entire educational institution, parents and guardians and, in general, the community act. As it is something that is internalized through practice, there is no division between what happens inside the classrooms and what happens outside of them
Some strategies to educate in values are the following:
Concluding
Education in values may seem like a relatively new concept that could only be created in today’s prosperous societies, but the truth is that philosophers like Socrates already defended the idea that one of the fundamental pillars of education is the objective of creating good citizens.
In a way, It is an education based on philosophy of morality: helps us reflect on our motivations and on the appropriateness of setting goals in one way or another, taking into account the impact that this will have for ourselves, but also for others.
