Decision making skills based on considering the facts, options, and consequences are the mark of an educated person. If we don't teach children to think they cannot apply what they know to life or to more advanced learning. They become test bubblers and rote learners instead of educated people. At the same time, decision making skills must be age appropriate and based on school related activities, from how to solve a math problem, to getting along with others. Thinking and decision making are especially important in secondary social studies classes where current issues are discussed. Students must be able to decide what they believe and why and be able to show how they arrived at the conclusion.

Strategies for decision making should be explained, discussed and practiced, but must be a tool, not the goal of the curriculum. Otherwise, they might as well be getting a scripted lesson. Education should not be behavior management even though it uses behavior management as a tool.

A good way to encourage age appropriate decision making that extends into life is to ban uniforms from schools. Parents should be encouraged to lay out two or three outfits for the little ones and have them pick which they want to wear to school, and important decision for a small child. As they get older, they get more choices, but the parents must always check for the appropriate decision that will not get them suspended or harrassed. It is especially bad that uniforms are prevalent in the low income schools where kids have fewer positive choices in life anyway and need more control in areas where the consequences of their choices are not life threatening.

It depends on what we're defining as "decision making". If we mean being able to evaluate information they find or are given, weigh the validity of that information and then make an intelligent, informed decision then yes, schools should (and I would hope most are in all disciplines)teach decision making. If we're using "decision making" as a euphamism for "character-building" where we shove cheesy morals down students' throats, then no, schools should not be teaching decision making. Schools are here to educate students and help them develop the skills that will help them be informed, involved citizens--when schools get into the business of teaching morals, we alienate those students whose belief system and culture aren't in lock-step with whichever "character development" system we've decided to push.