Schools declare and commend values under all four of these headings in a whole variety of ways - as much by what schools do as by what they teach in formal context. Equally however, there is hardly an area of the curriculum which does not, both explicitly as well as implicitly, raise questions of fundamental beliefs and values. It is this latter aspect of spiritual, moral, social and cultural development which is the concern of The Charis Project. The Stapleford Centre is to be commended for its contribution to both the debate and to classroom activity.

The Charis Project materials have the great merit of raising specific questions of beliefs and values which arise out of particular cases of subject content. This is by no means as easy as some would imply, nor would we expect the specific examples given to be uncontentious. The most important contribution of this material is to show that questions of beliefs and values do arise across the curriculum, and that to ignore that is to diminish the impact and the potential of education. There may well be differences of opinion about precisely which questions will most stimulate young minds, and which potential answers most approach adequate answers. The challenge is to enter the debate and to do so in a way that is most likely to promote spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils of diverse ages and diverse backgrounds.