From the 13th to the 24th of March, Young Citizens is inviting all teachers in England and Wales to get involved in ‘The Big Legal Lesson’: a campaign to start a conversation about the law in schools.
Sponsored by Mishcon de Reya and supported by The Law Society, The Big Legal Lesson provides teachers with the resources they need to confidently introduce the law in classrooms.
The classroom resources include age-appropriate lesson plans exploring what the law is, who has the power to change the law, and how these changes affect all of our lives.
Thousands of young people, from Key Stage 1 to sixth-form, are expected to participate in what is the biggest public legal education event of its kind.
The campaign comes after a Young Citizens poll found that just 13% of students had received a lesson on the law by the time they reached A-Levels. Further, Law for Life found that just 2/3 of the UK know their basic legal rights.
Ashley Hodges, CEO of Young Citizens, states: “Every young person should understand their rights, responsibilities and the rule of law, whether or not they go into legal careers. With the support of Mishcon de Reya and The Law Society, we hope The Big Legal Lesson 2023 will light the spark of legal education for thousands of learners across England and Wales.”
Samantha Kakati, Partner at Mishcon de Reya: “We are delighted to continue supporting the important work of The Big Legal Lesson. Its role in providing all of our young people access to the knowledge and tools to understand and engage meaningfully with our legal, political and social systems is critical. The free resources that The Big Legal Lesson provide supports teachers in making a direct and powerful impact on legal literacy, which equips students to develop their skills and realise their potential wider contributions to society.”
You can follow school engagement on social media using #TheBigLegalLesson.
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