There is a long-standing debate over whether or not colleges should be tasked with the responsibility of educating moral values and ethics, or if parents should be responsible. There are good arguments on both sides.
Others think that it is more appropriate for colleges to formally teach students moral philosophy, ethical theories, and applied ethics as it related to various courses of study. Colleges have resources, specialists, and the time to extensively examine intricate issues of ethics. Subjecting students to various schools of thought regarding morality at this developmental phase of their lives can actually mold their values and decision-making capacities before they encounter the real world.
Conversely, however, some believe that parents are the first and foremost responsible for imparting moral character, individual values, and ethical standards to their children. The family setting provides a setting where it is possible to deliver more personalized, contextual, and continuous moral instruction that suits the individual child. Parents can model good ethical behavior and help their children work through the practical moral dilemmas they face in everyday life. They believe that colleges should only concentrate on teaching professional skills and information, and families should take care of moral upbringing.
Personally, I believe that parents and colleges both have significant roles to play. Colleges ought to give students a good grounding in moral philosophy and introduce them to a variety of ethical perspectives. But the family home is still the foundation on which personal values, virtue, and skills of navigating tricky moral ground are developed. The best solution is for colleges and parents to collaborate in equipping young adults with the skills they need to deal with the ethical issues they will encounter.
