DefinePK

Abstract

Increased awareness of laws in education empowers parents, students, and other stakeholders in education to raise issues whenever they think there are school practices and decisions that are unlawful. School administrators and teachers should also abide by the law in the conduct of their school-related duties and obligations. This study is an attempt to measure the level of legal knowledge in education of school administrators and teachers. The data for this study was collected from five private and five public schools in a city district in central Luzon, Philippines. The researchers developed and administered a multiple-choice test to measure the participants’ legal literacy in education. It was found that administrators and teachers from private and public schools have below-average level of legal literacy. The study concludes that the participants’ lack of sufficient legal knowledge makes them vulnerable to costly legal problems. It is recommended that participants should take relevant courses or training on educational laws in order for them to discharge their school duties within the bounds of the law. It is likewise recommended that teacher education institutions provide their pre- and in-service majors necessary engagements in order for them to be guided by what the laws may and may not permit in the practice of their profession.