Moral crusade, or pre-election panic? What they all said

We value truth, human rights, the law, justice and collective endeavour for the common good of society. In particular, we value families as sources of love and support for all their members and as the basis of a society in which people care for others. Draft report on moral teaching in schools

It's a very delicate area, but I do think that more emphasis might be placed on the value of the family as a bulwark of society. Gillian Shephard, Secretary of State for Education

Morals are not the preserve of those who are married. David Hart, general secretary of the National Association of Head Teachers

If we find that there are certain values which are shared throughout society, it would be appropriate for any moral education in schools to have these as their object. Where there are disputes in society between values, schools have to be neutral. Nick Tate, School Curriculum and Assessment Authority chief executive

I believe my age group have failed ... I don't think we are mentoring the young at all and we have isolated ourselves to a degree. Anita Roddick, Body Shop creator

It is important that children are taught right from wrong; taught how to be good parents and how to manage a family and be good citizens. However, young people also need a good example from the Government, and given the way the Tories have contributed to the breakdown of society and the decline of the family over 17 years it is difficult for them to set such an example. David Blunkett, Labour's education spokesman

The more left-wing you are, the more permissive you are and the less religious you are. The more right-wing you are, the more conservative you are; probably you are more more religious. Cardinal Thomas Winning

I think when [Margaret Thatcher] said there was no such thing as society, she was making a terrible mistake. And we know exactly what happens when society begins to disintegrate. Dr Jonathan Sacks, Chief Rabbi

The Bible, as so often, has some memorable one-liners on these matters, imagistically expressed in terms of motes and beams, glass-houses and stones. It also reminds us to beware judging, lest ye be judged.