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International News

LETTER FROM AMERICA UNITED STATES
How schools build good character Charters slowdown

illsdale College, where I A YEAR AGO, NEW YORK’S GOVERNOR, KATHY
am employed, sponsors Hochul, a Democrat, proposed to adjust a state cap
Hover 100 schools across on charter schools, publicly funded but privately
the United States. These are ‘clas- run schools that have become a locus of innovation and con-
sical’ schools — they look back to troversy in American education. Ms Hochul’s plan was not
a ‘classic’ age for direction and in-
spiration. ambitious, but it would have allowed dozens of new charter
One feature of classical schools schools to open in New York City, where they already at-
is they aim to build ‘character’. It DR. LARRY ARNN tract about 15 percent of public school students and even as
is a big word. It emanates from an ancient Greek word thousands of families languish on waiting lists. But the gov-
that means “to etch or engrave”. Developing character ernor’s plan drew fervent protests from fellow Democrats,
therefore requires repeated action. including state legislators aligned with teachers’ unions. Af-
Aristotle wrote one of the first books to address the ter a bruising fight, the governor had to settle last autumn
subject of ‘ethics’, another big word. In some ways, it is
a synonym of character. Ethics are an attribute of hu- for a small increase.
man beings committed to good action and good thinking The relative neglect of charters comes just as fresh evi-
in their ‘character’. One develops character through the dence has arisen that they are successful. Last June, a com-
process of etching or engraving. She must work on it, prehensive new study emerged from Stanford University. It
especially when young. is the latest of three national studies carried out over two
There are pitfalls on every side. A child may become decades by the Centre for Research on Education Outcomes
lazy, unable to work intentionally, or hyperactive, un- (CREDO).
able to stop and think. A student may become a bully,
dominating others, or reticent, unwilling to stand up for The centre’s June’s study, which used data from 2014-
himself or contribute to discussion. Aristotle teaches us 2019 show a positive trajectory over time. In all, 31 geo-
that against these vices, the place to be is in the middle. graphic locations studied (29 states, New York City and
One should be active to the right degree, ambitious to the the District of Columbia), pupils in charters outperformed
right degree, and ready to help others to the right degree. their traditional public school
The process of growing up to build character is learning peers. Pupils gained the equiv-
to navigate between extremes. alent of six days of learning
Choice is the process of deliberation we undertake to
choose between options. It is at the moment of choosing in maths and 16 days in read-
that one makes a little etch or engraving on the soul. Hard ing each year. “We don’t see a
choices are those in which good must be given up for revolution,” says Macke Ray-
the sake of better, or some difficulty or pain suffered to mond, the lead researcher of
avoid worse. One may want to run away when confronted the Stanford studies. “We are
with danger. Sometimes flight is right. People with good seeing thousands of (charter)
character have courage, and they run away only when it schools getting a little bit bet- Macke Raymond
is right. The voice that advises courage is innate in human
beings. We are made to listen to this voice. ter every year.” Other recent studies such as research by
Our choices are our own, made internally in an in- Douglas Harris at Tulane University and investigators at the
terplay between our desires and thinking. We teachers University of Arkansas also report positive results.
help students best by the combination of what is famously The latest CREDO report provides clear evidence of suc-
called “precept and example”. cess and also describes which types of charter schools seem
Precept requires explaining concepts like the ones cit- to be working best. Larger charter management organisa-
ed to a young person. Only human beings can understand tions which run multiple schools at a time, have better re-
these things, and all of them can. When a young person
hears them, he understands goal-setting. Once he under- sults than stand-alone charters. There were also hundreds
stands, he becomes an active agent in pursuit of the goal. of successful charters where disadvantaged pupils (black,
Examples include a teacher behaving well, providing Hispanic, poor pupils or English-learners) performed simi-
model good behaviour. It also includes correction of a larly to or better than their more advantaged peers.
student when he errs and praise when he does well. More Charter enrolment is growing and the schools’ impact on
powerfully, examples include the study of people in his- American children is substantial. In 2021, about 4 million
tory and in literature who exhibit good character. public school pupils studied in charters, more than double
Good schools help students to build good character
through precept and example. Both are vital. This re- the number enrolled back in 2010. Forty-five states and the
quires schools to be stable in direction, truthful in in- District of Columbia allow them. In Chicago, where 15 per-
struction, and inspirational in message. Students of good cent of public school students enroll, black and Hispanic
schools respond naturally and with enthusiasm. families are disproportionately represented, as is typical in
(Dr. Larry Arnn is President, Hillsdale College, USA) cities that offer them. In poverty-stricken Philadelphia, a

60 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2024