The Building Character Through Cornerstone Values (BCTCV) programme had its humble beginnings in an Invercargill primary school 23 years ago.
Now, the programme is taught to more than 80 million pupils in 60 countries and participating schools are planning celebrations for the first Worldwide Character Counts! Week in October.
New Zealand Foundation for Character Education chairman and George Street Normal School principal Rod Galloway said the programme was established because an ever-increasing gulf existed between behaviours not being taught, modelled and reinforced in the home and those expected to be displayed at school to provide safe, positive environments conducive to effective teaching and learning.
Mr Galloway believed the differences had had significant implications for schools in recent years and the implementation of character education had helped to restore and conserve responsible and respectful behaviour.
The programme aimed to build character through teaching by precept and example, eight cornerstone values, the law of consequences and rational decision-making.
The eight cornerstone values are honesty and truthfulness, kindness, consideration and concern for others, compassion, obedience, responsibility, respect and duty.
Young people needed character qualities such as diligence, a strong work ethic and a positive attitude in order to do their best in school and succeed in life, he said.
They needed qualities such as honesty, respect and fairness in order to live and work with others.
As part of Character Counts! Week, Mr Galloway said National Schools of Character Awards would be presented to schools, recognising significant achievement in developing a responsible and respectful school culture.
Character Counts! Week would be an encouragement to the many schools and colleges that had implemented intentional character education, he said.
"There will be few in the community who do not endorse this year's theme - Your choices are your responsibility."
