Several law-related social organizations announced yesterday that they have completed the translation of a series of educational materials for first and second graders about fundamental concepts of democracy.
The Grassroots Law-Related Education Committee, formed by the Chung Hwa Rotary Educational Foundation, the Judicial Reform Foundation and the Taipei Bar Association said they hope to get the books established as standard teaching materials in elementary schools. They are still working on materials for older students.
At present, the groups said, early law-related education is not provided by the school system. High-school students only take "Three Principles of Democracy" classes, based on the teachings of Sun Yat-sen (
"Law-related education should be taught at all levels," said Carroll Stevens, associate dean of Yale Law School and a speaker at a press conference held yesterday by the groups.
Stevens said that as the language of the modern era, law and its foundational ideas should be taught in a systematic fashion, so that generations of individuals will grow up informed about their rights and the workings of the legal system.
Using this concept as their goal, the groups began to look for ways of establishing such education in Taiwan. After three years of searching, they decided to translate a series of books, Foundations of Democracy, produced by the US-based Center for Civic Education, for students from kindergarten to high-school seniors.
Although the books were produced for American children, the groups felt they have universal value because they focus on the fundamental concepts of authority, privacy, responsibility and justice.
Each set of educational materials includes a teacher's guide and four illustrated storybooks that teach using simple language and examples.
The groups plan an initial printing of 5,000 sets of books and have priced the sets at NT$500 apiece. With approval from the Ministry of Education, they hope to disseminate the sets to primary schools and individuals.
To encourage schools to use the materials, volunteers are giving free training courses to teachers who want to teach the material.
The groups said that one of the main challenges they have encountered is a lack of cooperation and interest from the educational system.
The groups said teachers have complained that they do not have the time to re-plan curriculums so that the books can be taught as an individual course.
People interested in learning more about the book and training courses can call 02-2351-5071, ext. 11 or e-mail pilot@anet.net.tw.
The Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) today condemned the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) after the Czech officials confirmed that Chinese agents had surveilled Vice President Hsiao Bi-khim (蕭美琴) during her visit to Prague in March last year. Czech Military Intelligence director Petr Bartovsky yesterday said that Chinese operatives had attempted to create the conditions to carry out a demonstrative incident involving Hsiao, going as far as to plan a collision with her car. Hsiao was vice president-elect at the time. The MAC said that it has requested an explanation and demanded a public apology from Beijing. The CCP has repeatedly ignored the desires
Many Chinese spouses required to submit proof of having renounced their Chinese household registration have either completed the process or provided affidavits ahead of the June 30 deadline, the Mainland Affairs Council (MAC) said on Thursday. Of the 12,146 people required to submit the proof, 5,534 had done so as of Wednesday, MAC deputy head and spokesperson Liang Wen-chieh (梁文傑) said. Another 2,572 people who met conditions for exemption or deferral from submitting proof of deregistration — such as those with serious illnesses or injuries — have submitted affidavits instead, he said. “As long as individuals are willing to cooperate with the legal
The Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant’s license has expired and it cannot simply be restarted, the Executive Yuan said today, ahead of national debates on the nuclear power referendum. The No. 2 reactor at the Ma-anshan Nuclear Power Plant in Pingtung County was disconnected from the nation’s power grid and completely shut down on May 17, the day its license expired. The government would prioritize people’s safety and conduct necessary evaluations and checks if there is a need to extend the service life of the reactor, Executive Yuan spokeswoman Michelle Lee (李慧芝) told a news conference. Lee said that the referendum would read: “Do
The Ministry of Environment yesterday held a seminar in Taipei for experts from Taiwan and Japan to exchange their experiences on the designs and development of public toilets. Japan Toilet Association chairman Kohei Yamamoto said that he was impressed with the eco-toilet set up at Daan Forest Park, adding that Japan still faces issues regarding public restrooms despite the progress it made over the past decades. For example, an all-gender toilet was set up in Kabukicho in Tokyo’s Shinjuku District several years ago, but it caused a public backlash and was rebuilt into traditional men’s and women’s toilets, he said. Japan Toilet Association
RSS