Moral contradictions and cross-purposes in society make formal moral training in the schools difficult. A discussion is presented of the pressure on the schools to provide values education at a time when society itself is unclear about values. The examples provided by parents, television, and other influences in the lives of young people are frequently contrary to the high standards society appears to hold in esteem. The school carries a large responsibility for instilling ethical values in students since they spend a great deal of time in school and in association with peers and teachers. Examples are given of ways teachers can focus on ethical and moral questions and dilemmas as they teach mathematics, science, English, history, social studies, and the arts. In a discussion of teacher and community responsibility for ethical guidance of the young, vignettes are presented on ways in which drug problems, hostility and violence, and student alienation have been handled in three different schools and communities. (JD)