THE FAMILY PARTY

www.familyparty.org.nz

PRESS STATEMENT FOR RELEASE

Bring values to the fore

16 April 2008. The Family Party has endorsed comments by Principal Youth Court Judge Andrew Becroft who wants values taught in schools to help children whose families do not teach qualities such as honesty, kindness and compassion.

Judge Becroft told the Dominion Post, “Increasingly there's a role for schools there, I believe, and there's a community debate to be had about what are the core values that underscore our society. I think schools need to feel confident that there are a set of community-owned values that they can confidently talk about with kids."

Family Party leader Richard Lewis agrees with Judge Becroft’s comments but believes the core values he refers to are ‘caught’ as much as ‘taught,’ meaning values taught in schools need to be consistent with those being experienced in home and community life.

“Unfortunately many kids are over-exposed to negative and dysfunctional stereotypes that are often glamorised through the media, which in today’s age of modern technology is a significant influence in their world. If parents aren’t establishing and reinforcing positive values in the home it becomes increasingly difficult to instil them in society. The problem however is contending with a Labour-led Government that strips parents of their power and gives kids free reign in the home and community,” says Mr Lewis.

Mr Lewis says Judge Becroft also raises a very important and timely question about what the core values that underscore our society should be.

“The Family Party stands for traditional Christian values that are inherently beneficial for individuals, families and society as a whole. Values such as common courtesy, respect for others and authority, compassion, honesty and hard work were very much the foundation base of our country. Our forebears built their lives around their families and understood that parents - not government, were responsible for raising the next generation. Today, Government has become incredibly overbearing and controlling in almost every aspect of life. Couple that with an increasingly independent and selfish culture where individual rights outweigh responsibilities and we have a very dangerous formula for developing minds,” says Mr Lewis.

He says the key to creating a greater sense of traditional values in community is by starting in the home. “It’s time to come back to the basics. Strengthen family structure, encourage family life and empower parents in the home. Fatherlessness is a major issue facing our society and in my view, is a key contributor towards the lack of values we are contending with amongst young people in our society,” he added.

ENDS

Original story: http://www.stuff.co.nz/4481677a11.html

© Scoop Media