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Year 9

Why do we need laws on equality in the UK?

I can explain what laws are, how they help promote equality and how equality laws were created over time.

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New
New
Year 9

Why do we need laws on equality in the UK?

I can explain what laws are, how they help promote equality and how equality laws were created over time.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

These resources will be removed by end of Summer Term 2025.

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Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Laws are official rules that set out what is right and fair and protect people.
  2. Equal opportunities are when everyone is treated fairly and given the same chances in life.
  3. Equality laws in the UK exist today because, in the past, many people were treated unfairly.
  4. Equality laws have developed over time to stop unfair treatment and ensure that everyone has the same rights.
  5. The Equality Act 2010 aims to prevent all forms of discrimination, based on nine protected characteristics.

Keywords

  • Law - rules, usually made by Parliament, that are used to order the way in which a society behaves

  • Equality - the right of everyone to receive the same treatment

  • Discrimination - treating people unfairly or differently because of things like their race, gender, or where they come from, instead of treating everyone equally

Common misconception

Times have changed: everyone is already treated equally, so we do not really need equality laws anymore.

While progress has been made, unfair treatment still happens. Equality laws are there to protect people and make sure everyone gets a fair chance, especially those who might otherwise be left out or discriminated against.


To help you plan your year 9 citizenship lesson on: Why do we need laws on equality in the UK?, download all teaching resources for free and adapt to suit your pupils' needs...

Encourage pupils to discuss different viewpoints on equality laws, helping them understand both the benefits and the challenges, which promotes critical thinking and empathy.
Teacher tip

Equipment

Content guidance

  • Depiction or discussion of discriminatory behaviour
  • Depiction or discussion of sensitive content
  • Depiction or discussion of violence or suffering

Supervision

Adult supervision recommended

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2025), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

Lesson video

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Prior knowledge starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Match the word to its correct definition.
Correct Answer:equity,giving people what they need to have fair access to opportunities

giving people what they need to have fair access to opportunities

Correct Answer:equality,the right of everyone to receive the same treatment

the right of everyone to receive the same treatment

Correct Answer:discrimination,treating people unfairly because of their identity

treating people unfairly because of their identity

Q2.
Which of these is not a main purpose of UK laws?
to set rules for how people should behave in order to maintain order and safety
to protect people’s rights and freedoms
to provide consequences for actions that break the law
Correct answer: to give more power to certain groups of people and limit the freedoms of others
to ensure fairness and justice for everyone in society
Q3.
Add a prefix to the word 'equality' to make the sentence make sense: When laws are broken, it results in equality and unfair treatment.
Correct Answer: in
Q4.
Which of the following best describes equal opportunities?
treating everyone the same regardless of their background or needs
Correct answer: everyone is treated fairly/given the support they need to access same chances
giving people whatever they want
giving special treatment to just a few people to give them an advantage
Q5.
The Equality Act 2010 protects people from discrimination based on nine characteristics such as age, disability, race and sexual orientation.
Correct Answer: protected
Q6.
Which are reasons why it is important to learn about discrimination?
Correct answer: so that we can recognise and identify it
so we can keep groups of people separate to avoid conflict
so that we can follow rules from the past
so that we can avoid talking about difficult topics in public
Correct answer: so that we can take action to avoid it in the future

Assessment exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Which of the following statements is true about equality laws?
They exist only to punish people for their actions.
Correct answer: Equality laws are still needed today to protect people from unfair treatment.
Equality laws are only for certain groups and not everyone.
Everyone is already treated equally, so there is no need for equality laws.
Q2.
Match the way that laws promote equality with its explanation.
Correct Answer:protecting people from discrimination,stops people from being treated unfairly because of their identity

stops people from being treated unfairly because of their identity

Correct Answer:promoting fairness,makes work and schools fairer, considering abilities, not background

makes work and schools fairer, considering abilities, not background

Correct Answer:ensuring equal access,includes making adjustments so that people have the same opportunities

includes making adjustments so that people have the same opportunities

Correct Answer:encouraging public body action,involves thinking about how policies affect different people

involves thinking about how policies affect different people

Q3.
During which decades did campaigns, protests and social movements bring particular attention to injustice in the UK?
1850s
1920s
Correct answer: 1960s
Correct answer: 1970s
Q4.
Before the Pay Act 1970, women were often paid less than men, even if they did exactly the same work.
Correct Answer: Equal
Q5.
Starting with the first, put the steps in order to show how equality laws have developed.
1 - People were treated unfairly due to things like race, gender or background.
2 - Stories of unfair treatment highlighted the need for change.
3 - Equality laws were introduced to make society fairer.
4 - The Equality Act 2010 was introduced to bring all equality laws together.
Q6.
To complete the sentences, match the statement with the correct law or action.
Correct Answer:Laws play a large part in ensuring that,all people are protected and held to the same standards.

all people are protected and held to the same standards.

Correct Answer:Discrimination in the 1960s,showed that schools and workplaces were not always fair to all.

showed that schools and workplaces were not always fair to all.

Correct Answer:Public services today,must think about fairness and equality when making decisions.

must think about fairness and equality when making decisions.