Servicing children in need at small elementary schools

¶ … Servicing Children in Need and Ethical Morality

Servicing Children in Need in a Small Elementary School

This paper serves as a review of a service learning project based on my experiences volunteering at a small elementary school, working with the school nurse. The school I observed included many children from lower income families, many of whom are neglected or have little in the way of social support from their family or family members. This paper details my emotional reaction to my experience while working with the school, and application of the ethical theory to the concept of "serving others in need."

Ethical Theory

Modern interpretations of ethical theory focus on interrelationships between and amongst people (Lee 6). Many ethical theorists including Maslow suggest ethical theory be based on need (Lee 25) suggesting that one should receive in accordance to one's needs. There is no uniform agreement however as to what one's needs are, in terms of an individual, society or the community in which one lives. The same is true of education (Lee 25). Most ethical theorists would however argue that it is ethically necessary to assert one's essential needs, ensuring they receive primary attention, whether those needs are educational, individual, community related or related to ones family or socio-economic status.

By neglecting the needs of children, especially children who demonstrably have a need, one represses an individual's ability to express him or herself freely and maximize his or her potential for growth, development and achievement.

Reaction to Setting

My initial emotional reaction to my experiences while working in this school suggest that the concept of ethical theory as defined as a means of fulfilling needs is largely ignored in settings where evidence of poverty, lack of community support and lack of uniform assessment of one's needs exist. Given idealist interpretations of ethical theory, one would assume that educational entities, including this school, as well as formal authorities, community members and family members have an ethical obligation to ensure the needs of these disadvantaged children are cared for.

I felt shocked at the lack of attention to children's needs especially in the form of social support in the setting I worked in. Clearly there was evidence that the nurse I worked with did her best to serve others in need, especially the health and emotional needs of children attending the school to the best of her ability. My initial reaction included a strong desire to apply modern ethical theory to the concept of serving others in need, by interpreting ethical theory to suggest that all people, regardless of their race, status or gender, require fulfillment. This comes from interrelations created in one's home, in one's community and in the educational environment.

In this service project, I realized that serving the needs of children was a duty and obligation the educational enterprise should take on, especially given my observations of children, which included the observation that many were neglected or without family. Even if children suffer from low socio-economic status, they are likely to thrive in environments where they receive familial support and/or community support to care for their basic or essential needs. These needs include food, comfort, love, understanding, proper education and access to healthcare and access to resources within the community that can help children overcome variables such as poverty.

Looking back on my project, I am convinced as citizens of a community and educators, we have an obligation to service the needs of others who might now otherwise have the faculty or resources to serve their own needs, wants and desires. This project instilled in me the desire to reach out to my community and examine more closely just how unequal the concept of ethical theory is applied to children from varying communities and backgrounds. It seems to me that more attention is being paid to children in need with high profiles, such as those living under better socio-economic environments. I expect to find a pattern where as Lee (1992) might suggest, a hierarchical ethical theory exists, where the concept of "serving the needs of others" in need correlates directly to one's status, race, ethnicity and other factors.

This suggests some level of discrimination may exist especially amongst young children and adolescents who grow up in communities where they lack encouragement, support and family to shower them with love and affection. Indeed my initial responses included a feeling that I was obliged to provide each neglected child something to help fill the emotional void that must exist in the absence of proper parenting or family support.

A also feel it urgent that educators and community members consider their ethical and moral obligations to service those who might not otherwise be able to help themselves. In the face of such tragedy, such young children are more likely to grow into adults in my opinion, with behavioral problems and problems interacting with others in what society refer to as a "normal" environment. This seems reasonable given these children are not provided an opportunity at their young age to understand how to create bonds and form healthy and mutually beneficial relationships with others.

If ethical theory does indeed focus on interrelationships as Lee (1992) suggests, then one must examine closely how the lack of relationships between children, community and family may impact society. Clearly there is a deficiency within many communities, where children are often deprived of support, much to their detriment. I feel an obligation ethically and morally to stand up for these children, and would expect other caregivers in a place to do so (like educators or community organizations) should do the same.

By witnessing how much the lack of interpersonal relationships has affected the children in the small school I observed, I realize now more than ever how important it is for society as a whole to stop viewing the world in terms of "hierarchy" and instead view each member of society, even the youngest at heart as an equal. Those who are deficient, or in need of basic things like food, shelter, love and support deserve attention before others, because they are the people most likely to suffer long-term consequences from neglect and lack of proper care and interaction.