So how is this achieved? The ethics

So how is this achieved? The ethics of justice focuses on “problems of oppression,
problems stemming from inequality, and the moral ideal… of reciprocity or equal respect
(Gilligan, Ward, Taylor, & Bardige, 1988, p. xvii). There is a need for a focus on the ethics of
justice; although this is a necessary condition for the creation of a morally healthy community, it
is not sufficient. The ethics of care must also be actively pursued. “From the perspective of
someone seeking or valuing care, relationship connotes responsiveness or engagement, a
resiliency of connection that is symbolized by a network or web” (Gilligan, et al., 1988, p. xvii).
Education is primarily about relationships; the ethics of care supports this notion. Yet, once this
point is conceded, one must then consider how all the various relationships within a school
community will be managed. An ethically responsible educational leader will focus on the
primacy of relationships and the understanding of the interrelatedness of all the stakeholders
within the community, while simultaneously creating a climate in which each individual is free
from oppression, is treated with equality and the “golden rule” is enacted in the relationships
between members of the community. Linking these two ideals then is the test of the educational
leader as moral role model