Kerala government plans to include study of laws in school curriculum

The Kerala government is considering integrating study of certain laws, such as those concerning the use of drugs, environmental pollution, cybercrimes, and crimes against women, as part of the curriculum for schools so that students are aware of their rights and how to protect them.

According to State General Education Minister V Sivankutty, constitutional rights, principles, and duties are now taught in high school, but it is important to teach kids how to defend such rights as well. He emphasized that it was important to include the knowledge of specific laws into students' education in order to develop them into moral and dedicated citizens of the future.

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The minister was responding to a claim made on Monday in the state assembly by CPI MLA V R Sunil Kumar that children in schools should be taught about various laws, including the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, the Protection of Children from Sexual Offenses Act, and legal prohibitions against dowry and drug use.

He argued that beginning in school, students should learn about these rules and the penalties listed within them for different offences to ensure that by the time they finish class twelve, they are aware of what is and is not legal.

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In agreement with Sunil Kumar's recommendation, the minister said that the school education policy was undergoing a comprehensive revamp and that public debates would be undertaken to collect opinions on what should be covered in the curricula. Sivankutty noted that as part of the process, the inclusion of legal studies in educational policy would also be taken into consideration.

(With inputs from PTI)