Character development has all but disappeared from American education. In the rush to achieve higher test scores, schools have left character education off the curriculum. Value-free education will become a house of cards. Character education and academic achievement work in tandem with each other.
Thomas Arnold (1795-1842) was an English school educator who believed character formation was a primary aim of school curriculum. Rugby School in England was regarded as one of the worst schools when he became headmaster in 1828. Bullying, cheating, theft and sexual impropriety were rampant among its students. He took over as chaplain to preach powerful and moving sermons to students. He instituted a practice whereby students could meet with him privately, an unheard-of practice at the time. He trained faculty to devote as much time to moral character as they did to academic rigor. In the words of one former student, “He seemed to have the freshest view of the Lord’s life and death that I ever knew a man to possess.” Under his leadership, Rugby School became a model of public-school reform in England and famous for its successful graduates.
Some educators in our day insist values are the exclusive domain of the home, not public schools. Baloney! Let’s recover Thomas Arnold’s focus on character formation to complement intellectual development. Today’s featured prayer from Thomas Arnold was offered in a chapel service at Rugby School in 1841: