One difference between Jewish/Torah education and non-Torah education is that in non-Jewish settings students are primarily taught information for the purpose of gaining knowledge. In contrast, we teach our children in order that they can use what they learn in order to be better people and better Jews.
We are taught from day one that there are things in life that are permitted and other things that are forbidden. There is good and evil and we are very clear on what is in each category. We are taught that we all have a yetzer hara and for life we must battle it. We don't sweep it under the carpet and pretend it doesn't exist. That would be denying reality - which is a sign of insanity!!!
Telling children that we are all good and that we don't have to fight the lower parts of ourselves is dangerous and a recipe for spiritual disaster. We have to be aware of שפלות האדם!!!
I write this b/c I saw someone frum promote the idea that we should teach our children that they don't have a yetzer hara b/c this will ignite the yetzer hara. NO-NO-NO. We have a yetzer hara w/o any outside help. We need to teach our children [AND OURSELVES!!!] that they [AND WE ADULTS] are holy souls and can overcome the yetzer. גדלות האדם!!!!! The way to do that is not to talk about the yetzer all day but to involve ourselves in good. As the Rambam writes [סוף פכ"ב מאיסורי ביאה]:
There is nothing in the entire Torah that is more difficult for the majority of people to separate themselves from than sexual misconduct and forbidden relationships. Our Sages said: When the Jews were commanded regarding forbidden sexual relations, they wept and accepted this mitzvah with complaints and moaning, as implied by the phrase: "Crying among their families," [which is interpreted as meaning]: "Crying about family matters."
Our Sages said: A person's soul desires and craves theft and forbidden sexual relations. You will never find a community that does not have some people who are promiscuous regarding forbidden relationships and prohibited sexual conduct. Moreover, our Sages said: Most people trespass with regard to theft; a minority with regard to forbidden sexual conduct, and all with regard to the shade of undesirable gossip.
Therefore it is proper for a person to subjugate his natural inclination with regard to this matter and train himself in extra holiness, pure thought, and proper character traits so that he will be guarded against them.
He should be very careful with regard to entering into privacy with a woman, for this is a great cause [of transgression]. Our great Sages would tell their students: "Watch me because of my daughter," "Watch me because of my daughter-in-law," so that they would teach their students not to be embarrassed about such matters and distance themselves from entering into privacy with women.
Similarly, a person should distance himself from levity, intoxication, and flirtation, for they are great precipitators and steps [leading] to forbidden relations.
A man should not live without a wife, for this practice leads to great purity. And [our Sages gave] even greater [advice], saying: "A person should always turn himself and his thoughts to the words of the Torah and expand his knowledge in wisdom, for the thoughts of forbidden relations grow strong solely in a heart which is empty of wisdom." And in [Solomon's words of] wisdom [Proverbs 5:19], it is written: "It is a beloved hind, arousing favor. Her breasts will satisfy you at all times. You shall be obsessed with her love."
