The Second Plane child (ages 6-12) is fundamentally driven by a nascent **moral sensibility**, primarily expressed through an intense, developing desire for **justice** and ethical fairness. For children of highly transient **expatriate families**, this moral awakening encounters a philosophical obstacle: the local political and social realities, including systems of law and justice, are often perceived as **temporary and external**—not truly relevant to the child’s enduring, global self. This disengagement risks rendering the concept of justice abstract and inconsequential, rather than an imperative for action, which is counter to the goals of **international education**.
The Trans-Political Presentation of Law
To overcome this, the **international montessori** curriculum must employ a **Trans-Political Presentation of Law**. Instead of analyzing the judicial systems of the host nation, the study of justice must be reframed through the lens of **Great Stories** from history and mythology—analyzing the **universal, invariant human principles** that underlie all codified laws (e.g., reciprocity, contract, restitution). The focus shifts from the *act* of legislation (which is transient) to the *need* for order (which is eternal). This approach is particularly effective in a **bilingual Montessori program**, where legal concepts are simultaneously articulated in two linguistic codes, proving that the underlying moral geometry is consistent despite varied surface expressions. For instance, the **Study of Government** uses the concept of the *social contract* as a universal human invention, independent of any current regime, thereby giving the child a stable ethical anchor.
Cultural Camps as Theatres of Enduring Justice
The **Cultural exchange Montessori camps** function as miniature, self-contained polities and thus serve as vital **Theatres of Enduring Justice**. The camp structure must be governed by a **Student-Codified Constitution**, collaboratively written on the first day. Crucially, disputes during the camp must be resolved not by teacher fiat, but by the children appealing back to the laws *they themselves* created. This immediate, palpable experience of self-governance and accountability makes the concept of justice tangible and non-external. When a child from an **expatriate family** sees a law that they helped create justly applied, they internalize the principle that **justice is not a location-dependent artifact**, but a **human-generated, universal necessity** for community—a core component of the global citizen’s moral training.
