Amana Christian Early Learning Centre manager Dale Neill said you only had to walk up the main street in any given town to witness a "tide" of young people who had gone off, or were going off, the rails.
"There seems to be a heck of a lot of petty crime, violence and a lack of respect for authority.
"Actually, there seems to be a lack of respect for oneself.
"If these kids did have respect for themselves, they would steer themselves on to the right track - they would know right from wrong."
Many young people succumbed to peer pressure because they had not had proper values instilled when they were preschoolers.
He believed it would only take one or two young people with strong morals in any group to stand up and say, "That's wrong," for crime to be prevented.
"There don't seem to be a lot of things around to teach self-control, self-respect or respect for others.
Here is the right time and place - while they are young is the best time to instil morals.
You can't build a good house or a life without solid foundations."
Mr Neill said the Amana Christian Early Learning Centre was established earlier this month with these values in mind, and believed the key to developing disciplined children was simply to teach them how to love and respect each other.
The roll was filling quickly, because of the style of education the centre was offering, and Mr Neill expected the centre to reach its capacity of 35 children within the next six months.
"We can't address all of society's woes, but we can start.
"You can teach them love, respect and self-control, and hopefully that will stem the tide."
