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

(http://www.oct.on.ca/english/act/act.htm)

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