TO UNDERSTAND HOW SOCIAL CONDITIONS, SUCH AS FAILURE IN SCHOOL, BECOME CAUSES OF CRIME, SOCIAL SCIENTISTS ARE OBLIGED TO EXAMINE THE CORRELATIONS BETWEEN SOCIAL STATUSES AND CRIME. BY EXAMINING THE EFFECTS ON ADOLESCENTS OF THE SCHOOL AS A SOCIAL INSTITUTION, THE IMPACT OF CONTEMPORARY EDUCATIONAL POLICY ON LAWBREAKING SHOULD BECOME APPARENT. A REVIEW OF CANADIAN EDUCATIONAL AND LEGAL HISTORY REVEALS THAT PROGRAMS OF EXTENDED SCHOOLING AND OF SEPARATE JUDICIAL METHODS FOR JUVENILES ARE DEVELOPMENTS OF THE INDUSTRIAL ERA. HOWEVER, THE LIBERAL MOTIVATIONS FOR EDUCATION AND CHILD PROTECTION WERE UNDERMINED IN PRACTICE BY AN EDUCATIONAL SYSTEM WHICH ONLY PERPETUATED THE SEPARATION OF THE WORKING CLASS AND THE ELITE. SIMILARLY, THE JUVENILE COURTS PROFESSED AN INTEREST IN CHILD WELFARE BUT FAILED TO PROVIDE CHILDREN WITH FUNDAMENTAL PROCEDURAL RIGHTS OF DUE PROCESS. IN THE 1970'S, SCHOOL DISCIPLINE SOFTENED, AND THE RIGHTS OF STUDENTS WERE RECOGNIZED, BUT THESE TRENDS WERE ACCOMPANIED BY A DECLINE OF STANDARDS AND INITIAL REPORTS THAT DELINQUENCY WAS BEING CAUSED BY THE LOW SELF-ESTEEM OF YOUNG STUDENTS. THE REFORMS MADE IN THE SCHOOL SYSTEMS ARE NOT THE CAUSES OF INCREASED DELINQUENCY; INSTEAD, DELINQUENCY APPEARS TO BE LINKED TO SOCIAL FACTORS SUCH AS THE LEGAL AGE OF MAJORITY, LACK OF ECONOMIC RESOURCES AND SERIOUS ATTACHMENTS, AND UNEMPLOYMENT. INSTEAD OF ABANDONING EDUCATIONAL REFORMS, THE MINOR IMPROVEMENTS SHOULD BE DEFENDED AND IMPROVED. REFERENCES AND AN ABSTRACT IN FRENCH ARE PROVIDED. (TWK)