In the teaching and learning activities, teachers have the duty to ensure they empower the students with the skills of managing social issues affecting them in their lives rather than simply focusing on academic objectives. In most curriculum development activities, it has been recommended that teachers should ensure they incorporate skills of moral conduct and reduction of use of drugs, ability to resolve family issues in their areas of residences or avoidance of participation in violence acts such as causing harm to people or property. This paper seeks to explain the current social issues that need to be integrated into school curriculum, by examining in depth changing values and morality, issues affecting the family, issues relating to crime and violence prevention in students who are still in learning institutions.
Issues Changing Values and Morality
Inability of Middle-Aged Generation to pass values to the Young
The issue of a change in moral values has resulted in increased involvement of adults in activities that can be described as immoral and they do not have the ability to provide guidance to the younger generations. This is due to their little regard for the need to conduct oneself in a moral manner and the perception that moral conduct does not have any meaning in the present society ( Czabanowska et al. 2013) .
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Increased Alcohol and drug abuse
There is increased acceptance of the use of alcohol within the society without control. People are developing the perception that the modern society is different from the past society and that consumption of alcohol and use of drugs is a form of change to modernity and a distinction from past beliefs. Most laws pertaining to control of drug and alcohol abuse have not been implemented effectively and there is increased lawlessness as a consequence ( Whitworth & Chiu, 2015) .
Lack of Moral Judgment in Schools
Most schools have ignored the need to make moral judgments during the performance of teaching roles within the institutions. The code of conduct which requires moral decision making has been perceived to be of no relevance in learning institutions but only allowed to be practiced by parents and caregivers at home ( Keating, 2014) .
Curriculum Change to Address the Issues
The change in the curriculum which can enable addressing the issue of the inability of middle-aged generations to pass values to the young can be achieved by increasing awareness among them in learning institutions regarding the relevance of effective personal conduct and its role in promoting the moral characteristic development among the younger generations. The curriculum should also empower middle-aged generations with the skills of educating the younger generation on moral conducts which can be contributing factors to their overall personal development in seniority.
The issue of increased alcohol and drug abuse should be addressed by increasing awareness about their role in promoting immoral conducts among consumers such as those who are still in learning institutions ( Parkay, Anctil & Hass, 2014) . The curriculum development should also focus on determining the negative impacts of increased alcohol consumption and teaching the youth about the possible implications on their personal health statuses.
Challenges and benefits expected
The main benefits that will be achieved as a result of the implementation of the above issues regarding values and morality are that the middle-aged generations will be able to act as good examples to younger generations. It will also enable the development of a culture of reduced alcohol consumption among the youth ( Slattery, 2012) . There will be a state of increased knowledge among students in learning institutions regarding the role of developing positive values on achieving their developmental objectives.
The main challenges that will be encountered in the implementation of the policies is that there will be resistance of school managements in some schools to implement curriculum that involves values and morality teaching, there may be that unwillingness of people in their middle-ages to avoid participation in the role of leading the younger generations towards a lifestyle of reduced alcohol and drug abuse.
Issues of the Family
Mobility among Family Members
There have been challenges affecting families in terms of their ability to stay together as a result of increased mobility to different areas of activities which are usually far away from their parents, spouses, and children. There have been increased absences of parents from their children who are more likely to be raised away from their mothers or fathers. This has affected the ability of families to determine methods in which they can cooperate among themselves to achieve their objectives.
Family Financial problems, Substance Abuse, and Violence
Within most families, there is increased financial challenges such as the inability to meet the basic needs of its members such as food, clothing, education, and health care. Most families do not have enough income that can enable them to meet these needs in an effective manner. Furthermore, there is increased reliance on one family member such as a father in the provision of most basic needs of all its members ( Whitworth & Chiu, 2015) .
Changes in family Structures
The main contributing factors to changes in family structures include divorce, entry of women in employment, and blended or extended family structures. Divorce results into a state where a child stays with one of the parents such as a mother or a father and affects the ability of all family members to relate with one another effectively. Most women presently are involved in employment opportunities that are time-consuming and they do not have the ability to spend most of the time with their children or spouses compared with the traditional norm where they were the family care takers ( Keating, 2014) .
Curriculum Change to Address the Issues
The changes that can be made in the curriculum to address the above challenges include: development of a new curriculum that focuses on empowering family members to connect with one another irrespective of the distance between them, promoting financial management competence, violence prevention methods, and avoidance of drug abuse within their families ( Parkay, Anctil & Hass, 2014) . The curriculum should also be developed in such a manner that the society is sensitized about the implications of high divorce rates and providing them with skills of managing work-life balance among women in employment positions.
Challenges and benefits expected
The benefits that will be derived from the above curriculum is that students will be empowered to keep in touch with their families, they will be empowered to conduct family affairs in the right manner without incurring financial challenges, divorce cases, and reduce the use of drugs and harmful substances ( Slattery, 2012) . They will also be empowered to possess skills of managing extended families and resolve most challenges they encounter.
Issues of Crime and Violence
Armed Robberies
The society has been affected by increases criminal activities in the forms of armed robberies which have involved both members of the public and school children. The robberies have been committed in learning institutions, areas of residences, and in businesses. Most robbers have included school children into their activities.
Crimes in Schools
Most schools have been affected by criminal activities such as destruction of property, stealing of school property, aggravated assaults against students, and rape incidents for female students. Most students’ learning activities have been interrupted due to increased incidences of the destruction of their learning facilities or robbery of their items.
Street Gangs
There are many street gangs who have been involved in terrorizing people in the neighborhoods and in business premises. Most of the people who have been recruited into these gangs are school children who have subsequently developed the interest to participate in their activities.
Curriculum Change to Address the Issues
During the development of the curriculum, it is recommended that students should be provided with teaching sessions that focus on increasing their understanding of the laws that prohibit participation in armed robbery or the tendency to join gang groups. They should also be provided with a curriculum that ensures they are skilled in management if school property in a manner that they do not cause vandalism or destruction ( Parkay, Anctil & Hass, 2014) .
Challenges and benefits expected
The main challenge that will be encountered during the development of a curriculum that accounts for the objective of crime management is that some institutions will be unwilling to make changes in their curricula to address the changes. The implementation of crime prevention culture in institutional curricula will also be affected by increased resistance of students to change their code of conduct such as their manner of using school facilities or the manner in which they conduct themselves outside school ( Slattery, 2012) . The changes recommended may also be ineffective in contributing to the change in characteristics of school children such as their tendency to engage in crimes or street gangs.
References
Czabanowska, K., Smith, T., Könings, K. D., Sumskas, L., Otok, R., Bjegovic-Mikanovic, V., & Brand, H. (2013). In the search for a public health leadership competency framework to support leadership curriculum–a consensus study. The European Journal of Public Health , 24(5), 850-6
Keating, S. B. (2014). Curriculum development and evaluation in nursing . Springer Publishing Company.
Parkay, F. W., Anctil, E. J., & Hass, G. (2014). Curriculum leadership: Readings for developing quality educational programs . Prentice Hall.
Slattery, P. (2012). Curriculum development in the postmodern era: Teaching and learning in an age of accountability . Routledge.
Whitworth, B. A., & Chiu, J. L. (2015). Professional development and teacher change: The missing leadership link. Journal of Science Teacher Education , 26 (2), 121-137.
