NCJ Number
74375
Date Published
1980
Length
31 pages
Annotation
This paper describes the Australian High School Education Project (HELP) designed for developing curriculum materials and exploring methods for introducing law education into high schools.
Abstract
The rationale for teaching about law in schools is to help develop students' moral reasoning or ethical analysis abilities through continual practice in reaching decisions and having to justify them. A second goal is to teach students to understand and respect the law rather than fear police and law enforcement officials. Other goals, derived in part from ideas of law scholars and educators, relate to making students better informed voters, helping students acquire a sense of national civic identity, and teaching them to appreciate the significance and beauty of an ordered society through the study of its legal institutions. Within the conceptual framework of educating students in citizenship, crime prevention, practical information, study of society, moral development, and skill development, this paper develops guidelines for teacher training. The HELP project is described in detail, along with Australian teachers' perceptions of law education priorities. Different project models are described, such as lawyer-initiated programs based on Canadian and United States counterparts, and educator-initiated projects, including Maryland and Pennsylvania law education programs. Curriculum design and methodology and classroom strategies for teaching law-related subjects are also described.