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INTRODUCTION
In
each school policy there will be an underlying, sometimes
subtle, moral stance or value. You may or may not agree with
the values and therefore you may or may not agree with the
policy. School policies reflect the values your school holds.
Values are:
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Moral beliefs
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A system of beliefs that can also determine priorities
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Importantly, values are subjective. This means that they
relate or reflect people’s ideas and/or emotions and,
as such, cannot be proved. Different people can hold different
values and a person's values may change.
School
policies are values that a school:
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Hopes to instil in their students and expects their students
to respect and follow
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Expect their teachers to support and share
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They are values that should protect and support the staff,
students and community
The
great philosopher, Immanuel Kant, suggested there were two
reasons (imperatives) that motivated us to behave morally:
Hypothetical - this is when you act morally because you either
want the reward or you do not want to be punished.
Categorical - you act morally because you believe you should...
it is your duty as a human.
Schools
try to base their policies on categorical moral reasons and
values. Often they try to instil in their students an innate
moral sense, so he students will keep these values and morals
when they are no longer at school. They encourage ideas such
as 'you should not bully people simply because it is 'wrong'.
The problem is that often these morals can be expressed badly
when the policy is made. 'You should not bully people because
it is wrong', turns into 'you should not bully people because
we will punish you if you do'.
It can be difficult to find the morals or values in other
policies - school uniform policy, for example. What possible
reasons could there be for wearing a school uniform? What
values could it represent? This really changes from school
to school: some schools like their students to be neat, to
display pride in the school with the student acting as an
ambassador for the school. Other schools feel that uniforms
create an equal environment, where students are not represented
by what they wear, or the price of the clothes they choose.
All of these arguments are based on the values of the school
and its community.
Essentially the values expressed in school policies are supposed
to create a harmonious school environment, yet they are also
put in place to help shape students into 'good' citizens.
Traditionally, school policies have worked towards a greater
good, meaning they serve the majority. The values they express,
however, may not be values you share and, as such, the policies
they represent may need to evolve and become more accommodating.
This is where you come in...
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