HDP 7002
Ethical, Legal and Professional Issues in Education
Dr. Earl Woodruff
Course Overview
This course provides students with an overview of legal, ethical and professional issues as they relate to the educational practitioner. Models of decision-making designed to assist practitioners with ethical concerns are reviewed and practiced with a variety of case examples. Issues are also examined in relation to professional conduct and responsibilities. This course will address school law in Ontario.
Course Expectations
Upon completing the course, students will be able to:
Demonstrate an understanding of the legal obligations of teachers licensed to teach in the Province of Ontario.
Apply appropriate decision-making models to assist educational practitioners with ethical concerns.
Apply appropriate case-based reasoning toward the prescription of professional conduct and the administration of a teacher's responsibilities.
Topics
Legal and Ethical Issues in Education
Legal Issues for Teachers and Students
Jurisdiction Rights
The Judicial System
Religion and the Public Schools
Ethical and Social Issues in Education
History of Ethics and Education
Ethics in Today's Schools
Demographic Changes in the School Population
The Family Unit
Abused Children
Diversity Issues
Violence in the Society
Evaluation
Course Evaluation
Three of the major program assignments and the mark for professionalism contribute to the grade for this course as follows:
Portfolio 50%
Group Investigation 20%
Professionalism 30%
Assigned reading
The College of Teachers Act
(
Regulation 184/97
(
http://www.oct.on.ca/english/legislation/reg184_index.htm)Additional Provincial Legislation
(http://www.oct.on.ca/english/library/list.pdf)
Additional readings
On-line readings will be assigned from cases around the world (for example, sites such as: www.yahoo.co.nz/Government/Law /News_and_Media/Newsletters and members.aol.com/edlawnews will be used in addition to Canadian cases from Ontario and British Columbia. (www. newswire.ca/releases/June1998/08/c2017.html