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
You Decide! (KS3)
This resource will allow students to critically consider what reasons and ways the government can take to support different...
Conflicting Rights
In this lesson pupils will revisit their knowledge of human rights to consider situations in which people’s rights may appear in conflict with one another. Pupils will debate how they…
Where do you stand?
Over a series of short sessions, pupils will have the opportunity to consider topical issues related to their school life. Pupils will consider the strength of arguments for and against…
More Economics, Money and Managing Resources resources
Housing Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
In this lesson students explore a range of different housing situations someone can find themselves in. They examine some of the common legal issues concerning housing including common landlord and…
Why Do We Pay Taxes? (Part 2)
Pupils will learn that councils are responsible for local spending decisions and can raise additional funds for public services through council taxes. To access this content, register for our School…
Economic Cycles
This free classroom resource explores what economic cycles are and how they impact our lives. Aimed at KS4 and...
More Politics and Democracy resources
How to share learning with your peers
Originally designed to be a companion pack for the Democracy Ambassadors programme, this handy toolkit will support students who...
Voting and the General Election
This resource pack is the second of a four-part set which has been designed to introduce students to the...
COP: Climate Action
In November 2021, COP26 took place in Glasgow. It was the most pivotal climate summit of all time. This resources will explore what COP is and what COP26 aimed to…
More KS4 (ages 14-16) resources
Consumer Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
This lesson explores the law concerning buying and selling goods and services highlighting what their rights and responsibilities are as a consumer. The lesson gives students the opportunity to practice…
Filter Bubbles: Tell Me What I Want To Hear
A “filter bubble” describes how algorithms limit and skew the information users see on the internet. In this lesson,...
Migration of People
To help you engage your students in the topic of migration Young Citizens have developed a flexible teaching resource...
More KS5 (ages 16-18) resources
Mock Parliament Debate
Aimed at students in KS4 and 5 (13-18 year olds) the pack is designed to be delivered over a...
Sentencing Myths (SmartLaw Subscription)
This short activity challenges young people’s perceptions of current sentencing guidelines. It can be run as a standalone activity or as an extension activity as part of a mock trial…
Employment Law (SmartLaw Subscription)
During this lesson students explore the law that applies to young workers and what they can do if they believe their legal rights at work are not being upheld. To…