Submitted in fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree Master of Education in the Department of Educational Psychology & Special Education of the Faculty of Education at the University of Zululand, 2006. / The aim of this study was to pursue an investigation into the role of the family in the moral development of the foundation phase child. From the literature study it became clear that the family plays an important role in the moral development of the young child. Each family sets guidelines, principles and norms with regard to what is right and what is wrong. It is.the educational responsibility of parents to transfer these norms to their children. From an early age the child is taught to behave correctly and is reprimanded when his behaviour is wrong or not acceptable. Eventually the child has to reach moral independence and responsibility with educational help. In the latter aspect the parents, as primary educators, play an important role in assisting the child to internalize and assimilate moral norms and values. For the purpose of the empirical investigation a self-structured questionnaire, to be completed by parents with children in the foundation phase, was utilised. The completed questionnaires were analysed by means of descriptive statistics. In conclusion a summary was presented on the findings of the literature and empirical study and the following are some of the recommendations that were made: • Positive moral values must be inculcated in young children by their parents. • Support programmes should be made available to parents to assist them in the moral education of their children.

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Through an integration of philosophical analysis and qualitative fieldwork, this dissertation explores understandings of and approaches to character formation in the context of contemporary K-12 classical education. Although classical education is associated with a range of cultural, curricular, and pedagogical features, I argue that the heart of the approach is distinguished by the foundational philosophical and anthropological commitments of classical education. These commitments support a vision of character education centered on the formation of love and the creation of aspiration. Given this broad framework for character formation, I examine a pair of virtues that I suggest are very important within this perspective: humility and magnanimity. Drawing on philosophical texts and the richness of my fieldwork, I argue that classical educators can be understood as seeking to cultivate humility through engagement with tradition and magnanimity through a holistic elevation of school life. I conclude by addressing some challenges for classical education, ending with a call for classical educators to maintain the integrity of their work by pursuing humility and magnanimity themselves.

Educating for character has been a predominant theme in democratic history. Plato and Aristotle, the Puritans and colonial America, John Dewey and the Progressives all believed that society has a duty to ensure moral knowledge in its citizens. Citing moral decline and the failure of some recent efforts, character education has developed into a system of civic virtue based on the common morality of a democratic society. Programs, funded by federal dollars, are even now finding their way into school systems around the United States. While modern character education already has its post-modern critics, it is still difficult to deny the pivotal role schools play in the formation of values in today's youth.

published_or_final_version / Education / Master / Master of Education