In the events we have seen in recent days, there is nothing to romanticise and there is nothing to condone in the behaviour that has spread across our streets. This is indeed criminality ”“ criminality pure and simple, perhaps, but as the Prime Minister reminded us, criminality always has a context, and we have before us the task of understanding that context more fully.
Seeking explanations, it is worth remembering, is not the same as seeking excuses, and in an intelligent and critical society, we do seek explanations so that we may be able to respond with greater intelligence and greater generosity. My Lords, one of the most troubling features, as I think all would agree, of recent days, has been the spectacle of not only young people, but even children of school age, children as young as 7 taking part in the events we have seen. And surely, high on our priorities as we respond to these circumstances must be the question of what we are to do in terms not only of rebuilding the skills of parenting in some of our communities, but in rebuilding education itself.
Over the last two decades, many would agree that our educational philosophy at every level has been more and more dominated by an instrumentalist model; less and less concerned with a building of virtue, character and citizenship – ‘civic excellence’ as we might say. And a good educational system in a healthy society is one that builds character, that builds virtue.
“And a good educational system in a healthy society is one that builds character, that builds virtue.”
That’s true, but what if the society can agree constitutes “character and virtue”? Given the competing worldviews in the UK and elsewhere this may not be as simple as it seems.
Correction
“And a good educational system in a healthy society is one that builds character, that builds virtue.â€
That’s true, but what if the society cannot agree as to what constitutes “character and virtue� Given the competing worldviews in the UK and elsewhere this may not be as simple as it seems.