Character Development Education

The Government of Ontario has mandated that all publicly funded schools K-12 implement Character Development Education.  School districts implementing this program focus on certain values and themes such as:  honesty, respect, courage etc.  These themes are supported by the entire school district and implemented in an embedded way throughout the curriculum.

 This provides a unique opportunity for the Church to support parents and schools.  Some suggestions are as follows.

1. Ask the public school teachers in your congregation about the Character Development Program.

2. Connect with local schools and ask them about their program and their upcoming themes.

3. Reinforce these themes in the children’s time and the Sunday school, teaching the underlying scriptural stories and values.

4. Develop plays or puppet theatre in the church using the themes of the surrounding schools.

5. Utilize the themes at children’s festivals, especially where “holy day” activities are organized for the legally permissible days off school.

6. Use bulletin announcements giving the themes applicable in local schools and bible story material for parents to use with their children.

7. Have local public school teachers collaborate with Sunday School teacher training.

*Developed by a presentation from the Rev. Dr. Catherine Keating, Deacon at St. John York Mills, Toronto who made a presentation to the Provincial House of Bishops on November 26, 2007. 

Item 80

©2008 Ronald C. Ferris