Lesson video

Hello, I'm Mrs. Barry, and I'm going to be your citizenship teacher today.

We've got a really interesting lesson to look at together about identity.

Some of this learning might be new to you, but that's okay because I'm here to work through it with you.

And by the end of the lesson, we'll have achieved our outcome.

So when you are ready, let's make a start.

Today's lesson comes from the unit, "How does identity affect rights?" Today's lesson is called "Citizenship Unpacked: Rights and Responsibilities." Our outcome for today is to explain the freedoms and obligations that come with being a citizen in the UK today.

During our lesson, we'll have some key terms that we're going to use as we go through.

So let's have a look at them together now.

Firstly, freedom, which is the power to think, act, or do as you want.

Obligation, which is an act that a person is morally or legally required to do.

And citizen, and that's a person who belongs to a country and has certain rights as they either live in the country or were born in the country.

It is a legal status given to people.

We'll also be using citizenship, which is being a citizen of a country and being vested with the rights and responsibilities of that state.

And right, and that's something which we are entitled to by law.

Our lesson today has three parts to it.

Firstly, what does it mean to be a citizen in the UK? What freedoms come with citizenship? And then what are the obligations on UK citizens? So we'll make a start with what does it mean to be a citizen in the UK? Citizenship means being a citizen of a country and being vested with the rights and responsibilities of that state.

Citizenship is legally given when a person lives in a country over a period of time or they were born in that country.

Our passports usually indicate what country we are citizens of.

When a person wants to remain in a country they have moved to, they can make a request to become a citizen.

When applying, they may need to prove certain things.

For example, how much they earn or how long they have lived in the country.

In the UK, they also take the Life in the UK test to prove they understand British history and customs. Is this true or false? You can only be a citizen if you are born in the country you want to have citizenship in.

So well done if you identify that that's false.

People can apply for citizenship from a country they live in, but may need to meet certain criteria.

In the UK, a person is asked to complete the Life in the UK citizenship test.

Citizenship does not grant you the same rights and freedoms in every country.

Izzy tells us that as a citizen of the UK, I have the right to travel without restrictions.

I receive free NHS care and I'm allowed to vote in elections when I turn 18.

Alex tells us that a citizen of Afghanistan doesn't have the right to travel freely.

Women have very few rights, and there are no free elections.

Healthcare is very expensive.

Citizenship also requires you to undertake certain obligations in exchange for your rights and freedoms. Izzy tells us that, in the UK, our citizenship requires us to take part in certain obligations, such as jury service and paying taxes.

Alex tells us that, in China, citizens must pay their taxes, but they should also keep state secrets and ensure they do not question the government.

Izzy is explaining some of the rights and obligations her family has experienced as citizens of the UK.

So here she says, "As citizens go through life, they gain more rights and responsibilities.

For example, my mum gave birth in an NHS hospital, which was free of charge.

She works and pays taxes like income tax and national insurance.

These taxes fund things like my school, which I can attend for free.

When mum retires, the government will provide her with state pension, which is a weekly payment to support her." So is this true or false? The obligations for citizens are universal.

It does not matter what country they live in.

Well done if you identify that that's false.

Citizenship means different things in different countries.

As such, the obligations on citizens are different depending on what country you are in.

What I'd like you to do here is to imagine you're meeting a group of people at a UK citizenship service.

Before they become UK citizens, you have been asked to explain the rights they will be given and the obligations they must follow.

You might want to organise your explanation into a table, and I've shown you an example of that here.

So the rights you will enjoy are.

And the obligations you must follow are.

So one right you might enjoy, for example, is free education.

And the obligation here you must follow, for example, is paying taxes.

So pause the video here, give that task a go, and then come back and we can have a look together at what you might have put.

Well done for giving that task a go.

I asked you to imagine that you were meeting a group of people at a UK citizenship service.

Before they become the UK citizens, you have been asked to explain the rights they will be given and the obligations they must follow.

And so your answers might have included some of the following.

So some of the rights you would enjoy carrying a UK passport, allowing you to travel, free healthcare through the NHS, free education from five to 18 years old, and estate pension to help you when you're older.

The obligations you must follow might have included in your answer, take part in a jury service, pay your tax, follow the laws of the UK, vote in elections for local and national representatives, and live in and support your local community.

Well done if your lists were something similar to this.

On to part two of our lesson now.

We're going to look at what freedoms come with citizenship.

Citizens are granted freedoms as a result of their citizenship.

These freedoms are often referred to as rights.

The Human Rights Act of 1998 created 18 legal rights to which all UK citizens are entitled.

Examples of these rights are the right to a fair trial, ensuring that you are treated as though you're innocent until a jury finds you guilty of a crime.

This means the police must act fairly too.

Or, the right to freedom of expression, which means you can express yourself as long as it is within the law.

You must act responsibly with this right.

The Human Rights Act meant that citizens can take an organisation or the government to court if they interfere with their rights.

For example, the right to marry and start a family was a key argument for the push for marriage equality, advocating for the right of LGBT people to marry just like heterosexual couples.

Alex tells us here that the marriage or Same Sex Couples Act 2013 was passed in July 2013, and the first marriages of same-sex couples took place on Saturday, the 29th of March 2014.

So let's have a think about this.

The Human Rights Act meant that, for the first time, A, citizens were granted basic fundamental human rights for the first time, B, citizens could take the government to court if they interfered with their human rights, or C, citizens were able to go to court if a person committed a crime against them.

Which one do you think finishes that sentence? Well done if you put B.

The Human Rights Act meant that, for the first time, citizens could take the government to court if they interfered with their human rights.

Not all freedoms, rights, and obligations are automatically given to citizens from birth.

For example, at the age of 18, most citizens become eligible to vote in elections.

At the age of 10, a person in England is considered criminally responsible and can be prosecuted.

At the age of 18, a citizen is considered to be an adult and can usually make decisions without a parent or carer.

This is known as the age of majority.

They no longer need to ask permission to do things such as join the army.

They have all the rights and freedoms of an adult.

So I wonder if you know the answer to this.

At what age is a person considered old enough to join the army without asking a parent's permission? Is it A, 10, B, 16, or C, 18? Well done if you remembered that it's 18.

What I'd like you to do now is to answer the following questions.

In your answers, give at least one argument for and one against.

So question one asks you to explain two ways in which freedoms change as you become older.

And question two is, do you think 18 is the correct age to be considered an adult? Pause the video here, give that task a go.

And when you've completed it, come back and we can consider what you might have written together.

Well done for giving that task a go.

I ask you to explain two ways in which freedoms change as you become older.

And your answer might have included something like this.

In England, a child who is age 10 has reached the age of criminal responsibility.

This means the court considers them able to understand right and wrong, and therefore they can stand trial for their actions.

At 16, you can do certain things.

For example, you could join the army but not without parental permission.

At the age of 18, you are legally considered an adult.

This comes with rights and obligations.

For example, you can get married, vote in elections, and join the army without your parents' permission.

The second question I ask you to do ask, do you think 18 is the correct age to be considered an adult? Pupils were asked their opinion for this question, and these are answers pupil might have had.

I agree that 18 is the correct age to be considered an adult because you need time to mature and learn about the world.

By 18, you are ready to leave education and take full responsibility for your actions.

I disagree that 18 is the correct age to be considered an adult.

At 16, you are able to make some life changing decisions like joining the army.

Many 16 year olds are very mature.

Well done again for giving that a good go.

Onto to the last part of our lesson now, which is what are the obligations on UK citizens? As citizens in the UK, people have obligations.

An obligation is an act that a person is either morally or legally required to do.

Moral obligations are things we should do because they're the right thing to do.

Legal obligations are things we must do because the law requires them.

Lucas tells us here, "As a citizen in the UK, I have a moral obligation to keep myself informed of current affairs so I can make good choices." Alex tells us, "As a citizen in the UK, I have a moral obligation to keep myself and others safe." And Izzy says, "As a citizen in the UK, I have a moral obligation to report crimes that I witness." So is this true or false? Moral obligations are the same as legal obligations.

Well done if you spotted that's false.

Moral obligations are those that we do because we think they're the right thing to do.

They do not always have status in law.

For example, treating people fairly and being a good neighbour is moral, but there is no specific law about how we should treat our neighbours.

Lucas tells us, "As a citizen in the UK, I have a legal obligation to pay my taxes." Alex tells us, "As a citizen in the UK, I have a legal obligation to attend jury duty if I'm called." And Izzy tells us, "As a citizen in the UK, I have a legal obligation to follow the law at all times." Citizens accept these obligations as a result of the rights and freedoms granted to them by the government.

Citizens' obligations shift at different times.

For example, during the COVID-19 pandemic, citizens were required to stay home to protect the NHS.

This was both a legal and moral obligation.

So, which of the following is an example of a legal obligation of UK citizens? Is it A, stand for election, B, not to steal from shops, or C, visit the sick in hospital? Well done if you spotted it was B.

So it is a legal obligation to not steal from shops.

What I'd like you to do now is to consider this statement.

Do you agree with this statement? All obligations should be legal ones, otherwise people won't do them.

Discuss your thoughts with a partner.

Be prepared to share one reason for and one reason against the statement.

So pause the video here, go and have that discussion.

And when you've completed that, come back and we can consider what you might have used in your discussion.

Well done for giving that a go.

And the statement I'd given you to discuss was all obligations should be legal ones, otherwise people won't do them.

And I ask you to consider whether you agree.

So do you agree? give a reason for and against the statement.

Your reason for the statement may have included, "I agree that people ignore obligations which aren't covered by the law because they won't see the point.

For example, we should keep up to date with the news, but lots of young people don't know who the prime minister is.

If we made citizenship compulsory, then people would be much better informed." Your reason against the statement might have included.

"I disagree.

Legal obligations should be kept for really important things that are required to keep our country functioning.

If we did not make paying taxes a legal obligation, then we would not be able to afford certain rights, such as free healthcare." Well done if your discussion included some arguments like those.

During today's lesson, we've considered rights and responsibilities.

Citizens can be born in a country or people can apply to be a citizen of a country.

Citizenship grants a person certain rights.

In the UK, the Human Rights Act 1998 granted people rights which were protected by law.

As a citizen grows up, they're given additional rights that match their age.

For example, the age of majority is 18.

These rights also come with obligations.

These obligations might be legal or moral.

Well done for working through that lesson with me today, and I look forward to working with you on another Citizenship lesson soon.