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.
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