By N.G. Kularatna –

“To educate a man in mind and not in morals is to educate a menace to society.” ~ Commonly attributed to Theodore Roosevelt

“Educating the mind without educating the heart is no education at all.” ~ Commonly attributed to Aristotle

At a time when education reforms are the focus of national debate, the place of value education in our schools deserves urgent attention. This article reviews key national and global recommendations on value education, highlights the views of educators and concerned citizens on its importance, and examines the current shortcomings in value education in our school system. It also presents practical suggestions for establishing a more meaningful and effective value education program in Sri Lanka’s general education, in line with the reforms now under public discussion.

The Concept and Importance of Value Education

Human values are the highest and most enduring qualities that ensure the well-being and progress of individuals, beginning with the family and extending to the community, the nation, and humanity at large. They also uphold the protection, harmony, and sustainability of the physical and ecological environment, from one’s immediate surroundings to the global biosphere. They are universally applicable to all human beings and transcend creed, race, culture, nationality, and gender the bounds that divide humanity.

Value Education refers to the process of nurturing human values in students, which guide their thought, conduct, and decision making throughout life. It goes beyond the transfer of academic knowledge or technical skills and focuses on shaping balanced personalities who can live with integrity, empathy, and responsibility. In today’s world of rapid change and rising tensions–social, environmental, and cultural–value education provides the compass that helps young people navigate challenges and contribute positively to society.

Globally, educationists agree that schools have a responsibility not only to prepare students for employment, but also to prepare them for life as citizens, neighbors, and human beings. Nationally too, many educators and policymakers have stressed that a meaningful education system must cultivate values such as honesty, compassion, respect for diversity, civic responsibility, and a sense of justice. These qualities are essential for building social harmony and sustainable development in Sri Lanka.

Educational research identifies three basic domains through which values are learned, internalized, and acted upon. They are: The Cognitive Domain – (understanding the meaning of values, their relevance, and how they apply in real-life situations), The Affective Domain – (developing feelings of empathy, appreciation, and commitment towards those values), and The Behavioral Domain – (putting values into practice through consistent actions, habits, and social interactions).

Together, these domains ensure that value education is not confined to abstract ideas but incorporates positive feelings and wholesome behaviors that reflect the nature of a balanced personality.

Global Reports and Frameworks on Value Education in National Systems

Over the past three decades, leading global education reports have consistently highlighted value education as a central pillar of human development and social progress. UNESCO’s Learning: The Treasure Within -1996 (Delors) states,

“The world has a longing for an ideal and for values that we shall term ‘moral’. It is thus education’s noble task to encourage each and every one, acting in accordance with their traditions and conventions and paying full attention to pluralism, to lift their minds and spirits to the plane of universal and in some measure, to transcend themselves. It is no exaggeration on the part of the Commission to say that the survival of humanity depends thereon.” This Report stresses peace, tolerance, human dignity, and personal integrity. Subsequent reports and frameworks have expanded the vision on universal values.

The Dakar Framework for Action: Education for All (2000) emphasized all aspects of the quality of education, including learning that leads to the acquisition of values, attitudes, and skills needed for personal and social development. The UN Decade of Education for Sustainable Development: 2005-2014 (2002) placed responsibility for the environment and intergenerational equity at the forefront. More recent initiatives, such as UNESCO Global Citizenship Education (2015) and the UN–Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development (2015), have underlined universal values of justice, diversity, and sustainability. The Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development’s Learning Framework 2030 (2018) and UNESCO’s Futures of Education–Reimagining our Future (2021) report further reinforce the role of value education in cultivating empathy, cooperation, resilience, and care as essential qualities for addressing future global challenges. Taken together, these reports affirm that value education is not peripheral but integral to creating balanced individuals and peaceful, sustainable societies worldwide.

National Policy Pronouncements on Value Education

All policy statements issued over the last few decades have recognized the need for and explicitly stated the need to produce citizens who are ethical, law-abiding, caring, and socially responsible.

The 1992 NEC report places values, ethics, and civic dispositions at the centre of the purposes of education. The report’s statement of National Education Goals explicitly includes goals such as national cohesion, civic responsibility, respect for cultural diversity, and the moral development of the individual. Rather than prescribing a single new standalone subject, the 1992 report recommends that value education be integrated throughout the whole school program–embedded in subject curricula, in co-curricular activities, and in the everyday life of the school. This means values should be taught both explicitly (through planned instructional activities) and implicitly (through school culture, teacher modeling, and co-curricular activities).These are part of the National Education Goals and are treated as educationally relevant outcomes to be cultivated. ~ (Report of the National Education Commission – 1992)

The NEC 2003 Policy Proposals include “competencies relating to religion and ethics.” Students should learn to assimilate and internalize values so that they can function in a way consistent with ethical, moral, and religious modes of conduct in everyday life. The report emphasizes that the curriculum is not only formal content but also includes “hidden curriculum”–the values and attitudes communicated through school culture, discipline, environment, teacher behavior, etc.. There would need to be changes in curriculum design, so that value education is an explicit part of expected student outcomes and assessment. Value education would be inclusive–for all religions, cultures, communities–with sensitivity to diversity. ~ (Report of the National Education Commission–2003)

Inculcation of values is an important objective of education. However, in contemporary Sri Lankan society, there is evidence of rapid deterioration of human values. To counteract this, appropriate changes in the curriculum, teaching learning strategies and evaluation of learning should be introduced. ~ (Raising the quality of education–Proposals for a National Policy on General Education in Sri Lanka–National Education Commission–2016)

The desired outcome of general education is to create a citizen equipped with cognitive skills, as well as behavioral components such as motivation, emotions, and values. So, the curriculum should be able to instill values while developing knowledge and skills. Government policy is governed by the concept of “a productive citizen and a happy family.” ~ (National Curriculum Framework for Secondary Education in Sri Lanka–Ministry of Education– 2020)

The National Education Commission formulated a National Education Policy Framework for the period 2020-2030, drawing on the recommendations of the Youth Commission Report (1990), and the NEC Reports (2003 & 2016). It has identified eight national goals to be realized through the education system. The first of these reads as follows: Promote the physical, spiritual, socio-emotional, and environmental well-being of individuals necessary for a healthy and happy way of life, based on respect for human values–(Happy and healthy human being). Another goal is to promote respect for human rights and laws of the country, while fulfilling duties and obligations in keeping with the norms of social justice and democratic way of life–(Respectful and trustworthy person). Upholding the nation’s cultural and ecological heritage while responding to local and global challenges–(Culturally fortified citizen), and developing a patriotic Sri Lankan citizen fostering national cohesion, national integrity, and national unity while respecting cultural diversity–(Patriotic citizen) are other goals having predominantly value implications. In pursuance of these goals, it recommends that the school curriculum needs to be aligned with the aim of ensuring all-round personality development of learners by instilling values, morals, and ethics. ~ (National Education Policy Framework (2020-2030)–National Education Commission Sri Lanka, 2022)

Public Concerns Regarding the Need for Value Education

A look at recent opinions shared by respected citizens in the mass media highlights the growing importance placed on teaching and learning values in schools. These goals highlight the urgent necessity of strengthening value education in schools, so that future generations grow not only as skilled individuals but also as responsible and humane citizens. Below are some selected extracts from these discussions:

“It is high time genuine progress is made to bring about a holistic education system which would produce skilled individuals with moral and ethical values to society rather than programmed inhuman anti-social robots!” (Vinodini Jayawardena – Daily Mirror [1]

“In most developed countries, education focuses on two key goals: building soft skills and developing professional skills. In Sri Lanka, however, reforms have largely emphasized professional skills, while qualities such as cooperation, sharing, altruism, patience, and creative problem-solving have steadily declined among students. Future reforms must strike a proper balance between the two.” (Professor Emeritus Daya Amarasekera – Lankadeepa) [2]

“The development of moral and ethical character must be a foundational component of our education system, not an optional subject but a compulsory one. Integrity, honesty, and social responsibility should be embedded in the daily lives of students from an early age if we hope to build a law-abiding, compassionate society. A truly advanced society is not defined solely by its innovations but also by its adherence to ethical principles. Progress without morality is a dangerous path. It is imperative that we educate the next generation to succeed not only in their careers but also in their conscience. A forward-thinking education policy must include clear strategies for cultivating and recognizing these qualities in every school. Educational reform must ^cultivate not only academic excellence and technological proficiency but also the social, cultural, religious, and moral foundations essential for holistic national development.” (Gamini Jayaweera – ColomboTelegraph) [3]

“Education has two primary goals: to equip learners with the skills needed to secure suitable employment and to prepare them to live harmoniously as responsible citizens in society. To achieve both goals, it is essential to maintain an appropriate balance within the school curriculum.” (Prof. Nirmal Ranjith Devasisri – Lankadeepa) [4]

“The Most Venerable Anunayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri Chapters requested the Hon. Prime Minister to ensure that education reforms emphasize nurturing enlightened children with kind and compassionate hearts, rather than focusing solely on intellectual development.” (Report of a meeting with the Hon. Prime Minister – Lankadeepa)[5]

“Good education is retained knowledge, useful in building a good character and ability in problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity. The process of inculcation of such knowledge must necessarily begin in Year One in school.” (N.A. de S. Amaratunga – The Island)[6]

“The present education system does not sufficiently foster the balanced personality development of children. While the importance of employability skills is duly acknowledged, reforms proposed earlier underscored the need to nurture broader human capacities–including the ability to adapt to life’s varied circumstances, the practice of wholesome personal conduct, compassion, respect for both national and global citizenship, genuine respect for the identity of other groups of people, and a deep sense of peace and reconciliation.” (Dr. Upali M. Sedera – Ada Derana Aluth Parlimenthuwa)[7]

“The stated goal of reforms is to foster global citizens who embrace the innovation and 21st-century competencies. However, the vision risks accelerating the erosion of Sri Lanka’s distinctive cultural heritage, spiritual ethos, and artistic legacy.” (Dr. Asoka Bandage – The Island)[8]

“An effective education system should value compassion, ecological awareness, civic responsibility, curiosity, and moral resilience, not merely cognitive efficiency. The primary objective of education should be the cultivation of responsible, socially conscious citizens who respect constitutional law and democratic principles, value human dignity and the rights of non-human life, defend environmental sustainability and biodiversity, oppose corruption, and uphold national sovereignty and promote inclusive and equitable development.” (Dr. Jayalath Bandara Adikarage – Ground Views) [9]

“President Anura Kumara Dissanayake highlighted the need for “a new value system” in the country while addressing the 75th birth felicitation ceremony for Rev. Omalpe Sobhita. Another point he mentioned was that the society and its institutions have deteriorated to such an extent that it is not possible to move forward as a nation and country without reforming these. Religious and other civil society organizations also have a role to play in maintaining or reforming good, bad, and worse values. Political leaders also have a role to play. Even more important, educational leaders need to play a critical role in identifying and preparing a framework for new values but also to transmit them through teaching.” (Dr. Siri Gamage – Colombo Telegraph) [10]

“In the present society, in which the social values are rapidly decreasing and the innocent children are preyed upon by increasing social vices, therefore, the prime requisite of education should be to generate a well-disciplined human resource knowledgeable of the value of accepted ethical behavior.” (Professor. G.L.Peiris) [11]

The Current Status of Value Education in Sri Lanka

Value education, worldwide, is usually introduced in schools through one of two approaches: As a stand-alone subject – (taught explicitly as “Value Education”,“Moral Education”, “Character Education” and “Ethics” etc.) or through integration into the teaching of other subjects such as Language, Literature, History, Social Studies, Religion, Environmental Studies, etc., and into co-curricular life and school culture. In Sri Lanka, value learning is integrated into certain core subjects across primary, junior secondary, and senior secondary levels.

There are no large-scale empirical studies done on our value education program that conclusively show how effective the integrated approach, the prescribed curriculum, the teaching-learning classroom process, testing and evaluation of learning, and the impact of the program on value attainment of children in Sri Lanka are.  A study undertaken on the above aspects of value education in 1995 revealed inadequacies in the content of the curriculum, lack of clarity and specificity in values aligned with different subjects, failure on the part of teachers to devote adequate time and to make a dedicated and conscious effort to inculcate prescribed values in children due to their non-familiarity with appropriate instructional techniques, total neglect of assessment and evaluation of value learning, as the prevailing emphasis in our education system was on imparting and testing only cognitive learning. Further, the system offered little scope for learners to demonstrate meaningful attainment in value learning and practice, and thus receive due recognition and rewards. A written test of attitudes related to a selected set of values indicated that, in general, positive attitudes attainment of secondary school children was lower than what is desired.(Gunawardena, G.I.C.et al) [12]

There is no evidence that this position has changed over the past decades. General public concern over the status of value education and the statement by a Minister of Education himself on value education as late as 2021 suggest that our value education goals remain unfulfilled up to the present time.

Conclusions and Recommendations

For more than three decades, national education policies have spoken of ‘balanced education’ and ‘the total development of the child,’ proposing measures to achieve this vision. Yet, the reality remains far from these aspirations. The evidence reviewed in the previous section makes it unmistakably clear that only a thorough overhaul of both policy and practice can place value education at the heart of our school system. Without such decisive reform, the promise of nurturing well-rounded future citizens will remain an unfulfilled ideal.

Education reform proposals currently under consideration envisage the inclusion of ‘Religion and Value Education’ as a compulsory subject at all levels – Primary (Grades 1-5), Junior Secondary (Grades 6-9), and Senior Secondary (Grades 10-11). It is not clear whether Value Education will be treated as a stand-alone subject or continue as a learning area integrated into other subjects as at present.

It is now widely acknowledged that the integrated approach has not been effective in achieving the objectives of value education. At the same time, there is a growing public demand for its introduction as a stand-alone subject. A subject-based approach would give value education greater visibility, ensure adequate time allocation, and enable the delivery of a well-structured syllabus. Increasingly, educators recommend a blended model: introducing value education as a separate subject to cover the three core learning domains, while simultaneously using subjects with inherent value dimensions to reinforce, especially, the cognitive aspects of those values. This issue calls for careful consideration within the ongoing education reform process, as it has far-reaching implications for both policy and practice.

Whatever the approach adopted, it is imperative that a comprehensive and holistic value education curriculum framework has to be developed, specifying the core values, sub-values of each core value, and the finer facets of the sub-values. Values thus specified and structured need to be appropriately aligned with the subjects and grades, taking into consideration the levels of complexity of the specific values expected to be inculcated and the development stage of the children. A curriculum formulated on the basis of these principles is the first requisite of a sound value education program. Another essential component of a value education curriculum is a well-planned program of co-curricular activities appropriately aligned with the specified curriculum, to give the learners the opportunity to live with the values learnt in the classroom. Finally, all activities and practices performed within the school plant in accordance with the school culture – rules, conventions , traditions, and functions, etc. (the hidden curriculum) need to be consciously utilized for the practice and reinforcement of the values learnt in the classroom.

Effective curriculum implementation in classrooms depends on equipping teachers with the necessary competencies and attitudes that enable them to adopt appropriate instructional techniques, as well as methods for assessing children’s attainment of values. Ideally, all teacher education programs conducted in Colleges of Education and Universities should include Value Education Pedagogy as a common course alongside other professional subjects, regardless of the teacher’s area of specialization. Such an approach would prepare every teacher to undertake value teaching effectively at any level of education.

It is well known that what is assessed tends to be what is taught in schools. Since value assessment has been neglected, teachers have often given little attention to value teaching beyond the syllabus. For value education to be meaningful, both formative (continuous) and summative (terminal and annual) assessments of value learning must form an integral part of the process. Unlike the evaluation of purely cognitive learning, the assessment of values involves cognitive, affective, and behavioral dimensions, requiring the use of diverse measurement techniques. These may include written tests, rating scales, reflective exercises, interviews, scenario-based assessments, portfolios, projective techniques, and systematic behavior observation and reporting techniques.

At present, schools tend to reserve recognition, rewards, and leadership roles primarily for those who excel in academic knowledge. With the implementation of the above measures, however, schools will also be able to identify students whose performance and behavior in the classroom, school, and community reflect strong value acquisition and exemplary conduct – students who are equally, if not more, deserving of responsibilities, recognition, honor, and rewards.

The need for reform in value education can no longer be ignored. For decades, policy pronouncements have spoken of balanced education and the total development of the child, yet these ideals remain unrealized in our schools. The gap between words and practice has left generations of learners with academic knowledge, but insufficient grounding in values essential for personal growth, social harmony, and national progress. Reforming value education today is not merely an educational need – it is an investment in the character and conscience of tomorrow’s Sri Lanka.

*Dr. N.G. Kularatna – Retired, Director Educational Research – National Institute of Education, Sri Lanka. Senior Lecturer in Education – Faculty of Education, Open University of Sri Lanka

[1] Education Reforms: A Historic Opportunity – Vinodini Jayawardena, Daily Mirror (26.8.2025)

[2] අධ්‍යාපනයේ සැඟවුණු යථාර්තය: සම්මානිත මහාචාර්ය දයා අමරෙස්කර, ලංකාදීප (15.8.2025)

[3] Educational Reforms: Capitalism, Compassion, or Both ?– Gamini Jayaweera, Colombo Telegraph (12.8.2025)

[4] අධ්‍යාපන ප්‍රතිසංස්කරණ වල සැබෑ අරමුණු: මහාචාර්ය නිර්මාල් රංජිත් දේවසිරි – ලංකාදීප ( 5.8.2025)

[5] Report of a meeting, the Hon.Prime Minister held with the Anunayake Theros of the Malwathu and Asgiri  Chapters – Lankadeepa (1.8.2025)

[6] Education reforms: N.A de S. Amaratunga – The Island (31.7.2025)

[7] A discussion on Education Reforms: Dr. Upali M. Sedera – Aluth Parlimenthuwa – Ada Derana (30.7.2025)

[8] Protecting Human Heritage: Sri Lanka’s Buddhist Culture – Dr. Asoka Bandarage, The Island (28.7.2025)

[9] Reimagining Sri Lankan Education for a Just and Compassionate Future: Dr. Jayalath Bandara Adikarige – Ground Views (22.7.2025)

[10] Need for a New Ethical and Value System: Dr. Siri Gamage – Colombo Telegraph (29.5.2025)

[11] A Virtuous Generation, A Better Society: Handbook on Moral Values for Schools – Message from Prof. G.L.Peiris, Hon.Minister of Education (2021-2022)

[12] Growing up in a Sri Lankan School: Development of Attitudes and Values in Children – Gunawardena G.I.C., Kularatna N.G., Kariyawasam C. (1995)