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NSW A-G announces high school legal education funding
Youth Law Australia has been awarded $60,000 to develop and deliver crime prevention-focused lesson plans and resources to secondary teachers and students.
Grace Ormsby
Announced today by Attorney General Mark Speakman, the online legal education program will be rolled out to NSW students through online platforms and social media later this year.
It’s estimated that the online resources, to be housed on TeachLaw and Youth Law Australia websites, will be visited by 20,000 NSW secondary teachers and students over a 12-month period.
Twelve individual lesson plans will be developed by Youthlaw for secondary teachers to use in the classroom, while resources and information will also be made directly available to students.
Commenting on his announcement, Mr Speakman said the courses “will help increase young people’s understanding of criminal law, the harm suffered by victims of crime and the consequences of obtaining a criminal record”.
Giving examples, he continued: “Young people may view sexting as harmless fun, but it’s important they understand sharing an intimate image of another person without their consent carries a sentence of up to three years in jail.”
According to Education Minister Rob Stokes, this crime prevention strategy complements NSW government’s Life Ready Program. Announced last month, this initiative aims to help students understand issues of independence.
Mr Stokes said young people face many challenges after school, and he is “delighted” to add his support to “programs like those run by Youth Law which help teenagers as they transition into adulthood”.
The statement outlined the future working together of the NSW Department of Justice with the NSW Advocate for Children and Young People “on a broader range of actions to promote legal and financial literacy in schools and the community”.
These actions from part of the upcoming NSW government Civil Justice Strategy.
