Abstract

Social interaction in groups, allowing role-taking and the resolution of conflicts, is a necessary condition for the moral development of individuals. By facilitating group experiences, teachers can be more effective moral educators than if they attempt to teach or preach moral values to timetabled classes, as long as they provide a democratic rather than an authoritarian justice structure. A school residential project in a south coast comprehensive school, which began by suffering such a blow to group unity that recovery seemed impossible, ended by successfully facilitating the moral growth of its members. The reasons for this success are analysed in the light of the reported experiences of Lawrence Kohlberg, Thomas Lickona, and Clark Power and Joseph Reimer on their moral education projects, and conclusions are drawn which may act as guidelines in the establishment of residential projects to facilitate socio-moral development.