Abstract:

“The European Union is founded on the values of (...) democracy, (...) the rule of law and respect for human rights (...). These values are common to the Member States (...).” This quotation from Article 2 of the Treaty on the European Union shows that democracy, the rule of law, and human rights are among the fundamental values of the EU. However, not every European citizen is aware of these, especially the younger ones. The document Key Competences for Lifelong Learning (EU, 2019) clearly states the need to empower young people about key legal concepts and structures. There is a clear lack of studies and research in this field that would help draft a competence framework for basic legal literacy for students aged 14 and 18.

Considering this European reality, the Law in Everyday Life Project contributes to the common values, civic engagement, and participation of citizens by emphasizing basic legal literacy as one of the competencies needed for an individual to be active in the democratic community on any level. The project sees basic legal literacy and its promotion in education and other educational settings as a prerequisite for a quality democratic system in the EU and member states. Only citizens who know and understand basic legal concepts, principles, and terms can promote democracy, support the rule of law, and protect fundamental rights.

The project’s overall objective is to promote basic legal literacy in schools. This objective is planned to be achieved by developing a Competence Framework for basic legal literacy for 14 and 18-year-olds, mapping these competences in cooperation with legal experts and practitioners, and education professionals. This Competence Framework will enable any education stakeholder to develop educational programs, projects, subjects, materials, and activities aiming to increase basic legal literacy. In addition, teaching and learning materials both for teachers and students on basic legal concepts and structures will be produced. The ultimate goal of the project is to raise awareness about the importance of legal literacy not only in education but in our everyday lives.

This article will present the innovative The Law Project, its objectives, phases, mainly outputs and a resume of the results gathered during the first two years of implementation.

Keywords:

Citizenship education, youth participation, legal literacy, law, democratic participation.