In recent days, the seventeenth session of the standing committee of the fourteenth national people's congress has voted to adopt the law of the people's republic of china on law and publicity education. As an important law for fostering people's legal belief, the act establishes in law the more sophisticated empirical practices and innovations that have developed in the last 40 years between the “1 5” and “8 5” laws, provides institutional guarantees for the promotion of universal respect for the law, compliance with the law, academic law and the use of law, and helps to promote and safeguard the rule of law in the new era。
The decision of the party's 20th 3rd plenum calls for “improved education on the rule of law”. The rule of law education is a prerequisite and basis for the observance of the law by the entire population, “to uphold the rule of law education from the child”. One of the salient features of the act is the promotion of the concept of the rule of law throughout society, the introduction of a special chapter entitled “education for the rule of law among young people”, which calls for the dissemination of the legal knowledge necessary for young people's family life, school studies and social activities, the education of young people to develop a sense of compliance with the law, of rules, of integrity and of prevention of offences, the conscious observance of the law, the regulation of their actions, the defence of their legitimate rights and interests and respect for the legitimate rights and interests of others。
Youth are the future of the country and the hope of its nation. Strengthening education for young people on the rule of law is both a critical way to raise their perception of the rule of law and legal literacy, as well as a foundation for advancing full adherence to the rule of law and accelerating the building of a socialist state. In recent years, from the top-level design of the programme for the development of a rule of law society (2020-2025), the programme for the education of adolescents on the rule of law, to ongoing activities such as the “rule of law in schools”, a series of initiatives have continued to improve the mechanisms for education and practice in the field of the rule of law for young people, and there has been a significant improvement in the legal quality of young people。
It is also important to note that minors are subject to bullying at school, cyber-fraud, etc., which raises concerns. The law needs to be operational, making the rule of law a universal practice for adolescents themselves. Through targeted education on the rule of law, legal literacy and ways and means of self-protection, respect for the law and a sense of piety are fostered and the healthy development of adolescents is strengthened。
Rule of law education for adolescents is a systematic project. The law on education for the rule of law calls for “increased synergy between the state, society, schools and the family” and sets out in principle provisions for the “education administration” “all types of schools”, “the judiciary, the prosecution service and social organizations such as the public security, judicial administration and the bar association”, to enable them to achieve their comparative advantage and to work together to provide better guarantees for the education of adolescents in the rule of law。
Legal literacy efforts need to be targeted and effective, in particular by strengthening education for young people on the rule of law. In particular, attention should be paid to the needs of adolescents, in line with their physical and mental development patterns and cognitive characteristics, and to the development of a rule of law education system that is progressive, well structured and covers all school sectors. Family, school and society linkages must be strengthened, and education on the rule of law must be vigorously and effectively promoted, from legal literacy to fostering the rule of law. At the same time, the law on awareness-raising and education to strengthen the rule of law is in line with the relevant laws and regulations, such as the civil code and the law on the protection of minors, so as to strengthen the rule of law in all its aspects and to guide young people in upholding the law。
“what happens in the world is not difficult to legislate, but to the law. “the truth of the rule of law lies in the sincere faith and faithful practice of the entire people. The law on education for the rule of law stipulates that the state shall introduce a permanent system of education for the rule of law for citizens. This means that education on the rule of law will run throughout every stage of society, from kindergarten, primary school to secondary school, university and even society. For young people, it is through a precise content of rule of law education and diversified forms of education that the rule of law will be more effectively promoted and its seeds will take root in their hearts and minds。
