Authors: Geetha R K, Dr. N. Devaki
Abstract: Values play a critical role in personality development and form the foundation of a humane civilization. The National Policy on Education (NPE) emphasizes that with a well-structured curriculum, education can become a tool to cultivate desirable ethical, spiritual, and social values, helping to eliminate obscurantism, religious fanaticism, violence, superstition, and fatalism (Ministry of Education, 2020). This study explores secondary school teachers' perceptions of value inculcation among preadolescent students. A structured 10-item questionnaire with a 3-point Likert scale was administered to 150 teachers. Descriptive analysis of the responses reveals both the strengths and gaps in current practices. Findings suggest the necessity of integrating values systematically into curriculum and school culture to enhance moral development. These findings align with global calls for character education and citizenship values in the 21st century (Lickona, 1996; Arthur et al., 2017).
