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LAW RELATED STUDIES

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LAW RELATED STUDIES

A study of selected laws of the country that have apractical applications in the individuals exercise oftheir functions at home, in the school, communityand work place, e.g., family law, labor law,environmental law, human rights, publicaccountability, consumer law and common offences.

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WHAT IS LAW-RELATED EDUCATION?

The main point of LRE in elementary andsecondary schools. Given the fundamentalplace of law in our Philippine society, everycitizen needs to know how the legal andpolitical systems function, how the law affectsthem, and how they can affect it.

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WHAT IS LAW-RELATED EDUCATION?

In 1978, major leaders in LRE described their field for a federalgovernment report. They defined LRE as "those organizedlearning experiences that provide students and educators withopportunities to develop the knowledge and understanding,

skills, attitudes and appreciations necessary to respondeffectively to the law and legal issues in our complex andchanging society" (Study Group on Law-Related Education). Inline with this definition, central ideas of LRE programs pertain

to why certain legal procedures have been established andhow they work in resolving disputes.

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WHY SHOULD LRE BE INCLUDED IN THE

SOCIAL STUDIES CURRICULUM?

Four reasons for including LRE in the curriculum are(1) development of knowledge, skills, and attitudes

needed for citizenship, (2) prevention of delinquency,(3) growth of student interest in the social studies,and (4) provision of breadth and depth to educationin the social studies.

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1. Development of Citizenship.

Law-related education provides young people withknowledge, skills, and attitudes necessary for informed,responsible participation in a constitutional democracy. LREclearly and indisputably increases students' knowledge of thejustice system, government, and the rights andresponsibilities of citizenship in a constitutional democracy.There also is evidence that LRE contributes to development ofskills in civic participation, decision making, and criticalthinking. Finally, positive attitudes about the law, the justice

system, and responsible citizenship may be enhanced throughLRE programs

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2. Prevention of Delinquency

A study conducted by the Social Science EducationConsortium and the Center for Action Research indicates thatLRE programs, when properly conducted, can reducetendencies toward delinquent behavior and improve a rangeof attitudes related to responsible citizenship (Little and Haley1982). For example, successful students of LRE programs areless likely to associate with delinquent peers, use violence as ameans of resolving conflict, and refrain from reportingcriminal behavior to authorities.

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3. Growth of Student Interest in the

Social Studies

Content of LRE programs is directly related to the lives ofstudents. The variety of interactive methods of instruction(e.g., small group work, mock trials, simulations, case studies)seem to involve students positively in the learning process.Thus, law-related educators tend to report that students seem

to "value LRE classes as relevant, useful, and interesting; thatthe classroom interaction is rewarding--offering students whohad difficulties mastering the subject matter of other coursesopportunities to participate successfully" (Hunter 1987, 55).

Heightened interest and positive attitudes of students in LREprograms may transfer to other courses in the social studies.

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4. Provision of Breadth and Depth to

Education in the Social Studies.

Law-related concepts and facts are necessary to theunderstanding of history, government, and economics--subjects that are integral to education in the social studies inelementary and secondary schools. Sources of law, functions

of law, legal processes, legal roles, and legal principles (e.g.,justice, equality, authority, freedom, order, etc.) are essentialelements of the social studies curriculum. Thus, LRE is anecessary component of a sound social studies curriculum.