Overview
Young people are, and will continue to be, some of the most impacted by COVID. However their voices have been largely kept out of public conversations about it and our country’s recovery plans.
Dr Dania Thomas and Young Citizens have developed a classroom resource to introduce young people to the inevitable social and economic consequences that a steep rise in public borrowing will entail for their futures. This is the start of a conversation aimed at exposing young minds to the impact mounting national debt poses to their rights as citizens – thinking about healthcare, education, welfare and pensions.
This session is also designed to validate their lived experience of this crisis, giving young people the resources to better understand what this means for them as well as build their confidence and agency to hold governments to account in the future.
Who’s Really Paying for COVID? is aimed at Key Stage 4 and 5.
It consists of a pre-recorded presentation delivered by Dr. Dania Thomas, as well as accompanying teaching and learning resources that are available to download for free.
These resources were developed as part of the ESRC Festival of Social Sciences 2020 and aimed to raise the profile of social sciences with teachers and young people. Although the festival has passed, we are very keen for you to benefit from these topical resources. Please share your school’s involvement on social media using #ESRCFestival.


More Lessons resources
Money – Wants and Needs
Pupils will consider the difference between wants and needs and discuss how our wants and needs can influence how we spend money. To access this content, register for our School…
What is Tax?
During this lesson, students will look at the purpose and collection of taxes. They will explore how public services...
My Community
During this lesson pupils consider what we mean by the word community and are challenged to think about all the different community groups they belong to and how it feels…
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What is Debt?
Students will explore issues around money, personal and sovereign debt and consider the impact government borrowing has on future...
Create a Local Council Budget
Students critically consider the needs of a fictitious town and how to spend it’s £250 million budget wisely. Working...
Local and Central Government
This resource pack is the third of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
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COVID and the Economy
During this session, students will critically examine some of the key economic considerations of the pandemic. They will explore...
Citizenship: a privilege or a right?
Students research what the law says about the rights of individuals to become UK citizens and critically examine whether...
Migration of People
To help you engage your students in the topic of migration Young Citizens have developed a flexible teaching resource...
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Social Media and the Law (KS4) (SmartLaw Subscription)
Students explore the law in relation to social media posts, the types of offences that people are committing (whether knowingly or not) and the consequences of these offences. Finally, students…
Biodiversity: Using the Law to Drive Change
During this lesson, students consider what biodiversity is, why it is essential to all life on Earth and what...
Mock G7 Pack
The UK hosted the G7 Summit in June 2021. Young Citizens wants to engage young people across the UK...
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An Introduction to Human Rights
In this lesson students will explore our rights and responsibilities and how they are protected in law. They are...
What is a Political Party?
This resource pack is the fourth of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
Climate Action: Circular Economies
During this lesson students explore how the economy can be used to support climate action and create a more...