This is an article published in the World Education Fellowship Newsletter of July 2025.

We often come across these statements:

• He is a man of character.
• The school is not giving the student a character certificate.

I share an anecdote to clear some cobwebs. In one of the schools where I was the principal, a few girls came into the office saying they were playing in the car park area and ended up breaking the number plate of a car. The owner of the car, a teacher, was called, and students narrated the incident, apologized and offered to pay for the damage. What do you think was the response of the teacher? Yes, you guessed it right. She was proud that the students were honest and brave enough to accept their mistake. They could have run away and nobody would have been any the wiser.

Let’s take a look at what character means

The word character has multiple meanings. First and foremost, it is a part of Personality—it is the way an individual thinks, feels, and behaves. It could be a set of qualities shared by many people in a group or country. It could be a symbol, such as a letter or number, used in writing or printing. It could be a person in a story or a role in a play or film.

We shall examine character as the set of moral and mental qualities that define a person’s behaviour, choices, and interactions. It encompasses values such as integrity, honesty, empathy, perseverance, and respect. In other words,  character and external factors reflects a person’s ethical framework. Which is in turn influenced  by the internal value factors. Character is consistent across various situations.

The aspects of Character

Schools contribution to character development

Schools play a crucial role in character development. They are the influencers. Everyone has had a favourite teacher who has influenced us to be what we are today.  The graphic lists out the 4 main areas that one needs to focus on.

However, schools alone cannot build character by themselves. All the stake holders need to be on the same page.

What is “National Character”?

“National Character” refers to the collective personality traits, values, and behaviours that are perceived to be prevalent among citizens. It is influenced by a country’s history, culture, polity, academics and so on.

Main Elements of National Character

• Patriotism: A sense of pride and loyalty to one’s country is one of the major factors. National pride can only develop when a young student has pride related to  the home, the school, the house to which he belongs at school and so on. They should be able to resonate with Walter Scott and his poem Breathes there a man with soul so dead….. Take pride in My India. My country.
• Civic responsibility: Children taking part in a cleanliness drive could be one of the activities. Visits to old age homes can bring out the children’s sensitivity. Introduce the Sustainable Development Goals. Create awareness. Impress upon them the need for hygiene.  Taking responsibility for protecting the blue planet.
• Cultural values involve respect for tradition, diversity, and innovation. Schools celebrate diverse Indian festivals, dances, and music. Not only does this help preserve and propagate cultural values, but it also encourages the ‘not so clever’ student to excel in other activities and build up the confidence.  
• Work ethic refers to the nation’s attitude towards work, productivity, and societal progress. If a person spends long hours at work, it does not necessarily mean that individual is a good worker.

National character evolves. Get the children be acquainted with the vision and mission statements of the  institution before you move on to the National Platform. 

 Where in the school curriculum should “Character Development” be incorporated?

Character development should be embedded throughout the entire school curriculum, not just confined to specific subjects. Key areas where it can be included:

• Life skills: Discussing dilemmas with the students will  help them to understand right and wrong, and how to overcome conflicts and take decisions.
• Subjects like History and Civics lend themselves to introduce these concepts. However, if the teaching is not in silo but in an integrated format a lot more can be achieved.
• Co-curricular Activities: Plan activities that bring about the affective domain to the fore.  Visits to an Old age home, adopting a school that is on the lower rung and bring it up , Visit the school for the specially-abled children. The list is endless.

Do we, as teachers, need to do different things with girls as opposed to boys?

Teachers should be proponents of equal treatment to both boys and girls,

there may be certain specific areas where prudence is needed on the part of the teacher.

Boys may need more encouragement in expressing their emotions constructively, while girls might benefit from building assertiveness and confidence.

Teachers should work to break down societal stereotypes, ensuring both boys and girls are equally exposed to traits like leadership, empathy, resilience, and teamwork.

The goal is to cultivate a nurturing, inclusive environment where all students can develop a range of positive character traits, irrespective of gender.

In what ways can teachers and parents collaborate in the development of good character traits in young students?

At the outset, teachers need to be equipped to deal with this. Training teachers to foster character development requires a multi-faceted approach:

• Regular professional development  through Workshops and Seminars
• Mentorship and Role Modelling: Schools can organize mentorship programs where experienced educators mentor new teachers in cultivating a character-centered approach.
• Incorporating Character Education in Teaching Methods: Teachers should be trained to integrate character lessons into their subjects. Build up a cognitive dissonance leading to reflective discussions.
• Assessment and Reflection: Teachers should learn how to assess character traits through observation, peer interactions, and self-reflective practices among students, encouraging growth.

Collaboration between teachers and parents is essential for consistent character development. Some strategies include:

• Workshops on topics of relevance for both parents and teachers can be held together.
• Communication should be transparent. Inform the parents about what is done in school, respect the decisions, and reinforce them at home as part of shared responsibility.                              
• Plan regular parent-teacher meetings
• Organize initiatives like community service projects to instill a sense of social responsibility and teamwork.

How early should we start the ‘character building’ effort?

Catch them Young. Once they are set in their ways, very few of them would mend their ways.  This is also a part of the developmental process.

Character development should start early, ideally in early childhood education. Young children are highly impressionable, and instilling good character traits at this stage lays a strong foundation for later life.

• Pre-primary and Primary: At this stage, simple values like sharing, kindness, honesty, and respect for others can be taught through play, stories, and interactions with peers and teachers.
• Middle and Secondary Levels: As children grow, character development also grows alongside other developmental milestones. At this stage abstract and  more complex traits like critical thinking, empathy, leadership, and moral responsibility can be introduced. Adolescents are particularly receptive to discussions on themes that have contradictions and dilemmas.

Happy character building….

Reference:

How Do I Change The Control M Character In Unix » News Lia. https://newslia.org/how-do-i-change-the-control-m-character-in-unix/