A Criminological Study on the Requirement to Introduce the Criminal Law into the Junior Secondary School Syllabus (Grades 6 to 9) in Sri Lanka (Based on Mahiyanganaya Education Zone)

In light of the present society infested with crimes, it is a timely need that the community be empowered with legal literacy to succeed in controlling and preventing crimes. Hence, while investigating its practicality, this study intends to identify the need for criminal law to be included in Sri Lanka’s junior secondary school syllabus (Grades 6 to 9: 11 to 14-year age group). Twelve out of eighty-one schools in Mahiyanganaya Educational Zone have been selected using the stratified sampling method for the study. Sixty responders were chosen to represent every school in the sample, and data were collected through a questionnaire, which was analysed using SPSS software. The study revealed that in controlling and preventing crimes, improving the legal literacy of the whole community plays a crucial role. It was established that school-level education should be prioritized to enhance legal literacy, build childhood personality, and overcome legal illiteracy. In this regard, 95% of the participants agreed that the junior secondary school syllabuses should be updated so that criminal law is integrated into the school syllabus as a subject. The study recommends properly identifying junior secondary school syllabuses and upgrading their expected learning outcomes through a committee of specialists. Psychological and technical aspects must be incorporated in reforming the syllabuses. It is recommended that for the subject content to be delivered practically, highly qualified personnel should be recruited as teachers to make this effort more productive.

DOI: http://doi.org/10.31357/fhss/vjhss.v07i01.10