4. UK Learning Academy
British Constitution
• Houses of Parliament
• House of Commons
• House of Lords
• Democracy
• Voting
• EEC/EU
5. Role of the EEC
The European Economic Community (EEC, it was also known as the
"Common Market" in the United Kingdom) was an international
organisation created in 1957 to bring about economic integration between
Belgium, France, Germany, Italy and the Netherlands
UK Learning Academy
6. Role of the European
Commission (EC)
The European Commission is the executive branch of the European
Union. The body is responsible for proposing legislation, implementing
decisions, upholding the Union's treaties and the general day-to-day
running of the Union.
UK Learning Academy
9. The Role of the House of
Commons
The House of Commons is traditionally regarded as the lower house, but it is
the main parliamentary arena for political battle. A Government can only remain
in office for as long as it has the support of a majority in the House of
Commons. As with the House of Lords, the House of Commons debates new
primary legislation as part of the process of making an Act of Parliament, but
the Commons has primacy over the non-elected House of Lords. 'Money bills',
concerned solely with taxation and public expenditure, are always introduced in
the Commons and must be passed by the Lords promptly and without
amendment. When the two houses disagree on a non-money bill, the
Parliament Acts can be invoked to ensure that the will of the elected chamber
prevails.
The House also scrutinises the work of the Government - it does that by
various means, including questioning ministers in the Chamber and through the
Select Committee system
UK Learning Academy
10. UK Learning Academy
House Of Lords
•The role of the House of Lords has
historically been to give the green light to
things which the House of Commons want
to make law.
•The House of Lords also has a second
function in which it sits as the highest
appeal court in the land – although the
European Court of Appeal has changed its
status slightly. However, the role of the
House of Lords has been under debate for
a while and when Tony Blair was Prime
Minister, reform of the House of Lords was
something he was especially keen to see
carried out.
11. UK Learning Academy
Democracy
The Democracy Program works to build
democratic institutions and inclusive
societies worldwide, helping people have a
meaningful voice in how they are governed.
Program activities focus on two main areas:
• Observing elections around the world and developing
international standards for democratic elections
• Strengthening democracy by promoting the rule of law,
expanding citizen participation in governance, and
disseminating models, lessons, and best practices for
democratic governance.
12. UK Learning Academy
Voting
Types of voting procedures
Ballot Procedures - There are three ways
people can vote - in person at a polling
station, by post or by proxy.
Online Voting - There are also three main
types of electronic voting.
13. UK Learning Academy
European Union (EU)
The European Community (EC)
and its legislation
Common Foreign and
Security Policy (CFSP)
Police and Judicial Cooperation
in Criminal Matters
16. UK Learning Academy
Local Elections
• 1st Week in May
• Councillors are chosen
• Consult on Local Issues
• Planning/Roads/Schools/Health
17. UK Learning Academy
Migration
• After World War 2
• Many people died so there were many
jobs
• People were sourced from Commonwealth
countries ( ruled by the British Empire
before independence.)
• Bangladesh, India, Pakistan
18. UK Learning Academy
New Constitution
• New role for women
• Children Family and Young people
• Education
• Work
• Health Hazards
19. UK Learning Academy
Population
• 2001 – There were 59 million
• Census 2001
(A Census is done every 10 years,
Questionnaire to every household)
(includes - how many people, children,
bedrooms, income, ages, colour)
• Non-White 4.6 million
21. UK Learning Academy
Religions
• Christian Majority (Head is Queen)
– Catholics
– Church of England
– Muslims
– Jews
– Hindu
– Sikh
– Buddhist
22. Catholics
UK Learning Academy
Catholic Church - The Catholic church
contains many rites. The Roman
Catholic Church was founded in the
year 33 by Jesus Christ. The Pope is
the earthly head of the church and is
the bishop of Rome. The first pope
was Pope St. Peter and was appointed
by Jesus to lead his church on earth.
Today there are 33,000 Plus churches
that make a claim to being Christian,
but he RCC was the first and the
original.
23. Church of England
UK Learning Academy
The Church of England is the officially established Christian church[3] in
England, the Mother Church of the worldwide Anglican Communion and the
oldest among the communion's thirty-eight independent national churches.
The Church of England considers itself to be both Catholic and reformed:
Reformed insofar as many of the principles of the early Protestant reformers
as well as the subsequent Protestant Reformation have influenced it via the
English Reformation and also insofar as it does not accept Papal supremacy
or the Counter-Reformation.
Catholic in that it views itself as being an unbroken continuation of both the
early apostolic and later medieval universal church, rather than as a new
formation, and in that it holds and teaches the historic Catholic faith. In its
customs and liturgy it has retained more of the Catholic tradition than most
other churches touched by the Protestant Reformation.
24. Muslims
UK Learning Academy
The word "Islam" itself means
"Submission to Allah." The religion of
Islam is not named after a person as in
the case of "Christianity" which was
named after Jesus Christ, "Buddhism"
after Gautama Buddha , "Marxism"
after Karl Marx, and "Confucianism"
after Confucius.
Similarly, Islam is not named after a
tribe like "Judaism" after the tribe of
Judah and "Hinduism" after the
Hindus. The Arabic word "Islam"
means the submission or surrender of
one's will to the will of the only true god
worthy of worship, "Allah" (known as
God "the Father" in Christianity).
25. Jews
UK Learning Academy
Judaism is a set of ideas about the
world and the way we should live our
lives that is called "Judaism." It is
studied in Religious Studies courses
and taught to Jewish children in
Hebrew schools. There is a lot of
flexibility about certain aspects of
those beliefs, and a lot of
disagreement about specifics, but that
flexibility is built into the organized
system of belief that is Judaism
26. Hindus
UK Learning Academy
Hinduism is the world's oldest extant
religion, with a billion followers, which
makes it the world's third largest
religion. Hinduism is a conglomeration
of religious, philosophical, and cultural
ideas and practices that originated in
India, characterized by the belief in
reincarnation, one absolute being of
multiple manifestations, the law of
cause and effect, following the path of
righteousness, and the desire for
liberation from the cycle of births and
deaths.
27. Sikhs
UK Learning Academy
Sikhism is a way of life and philosophy
well ahead of its time when it was
founded over 500 years ago, The Sikh
religion today has a following of over
20 million people worldwide. Sikhism
preaches a message of devotion and
remembrance of God at all times,
truthful living, equality of mankind,
social justice and denounces
superstitions and blind rituals. Sikhism
is open to all through the teachings of
its 10 Gurus enshrined in the Sikh Holy
Book and Living Guru, Sri Guru Granth
Sahib
28. Buddhists
UK Learning Academy
Buddhism is based on the teachings of
the Gautama Buddha who lived circa
the fifth century BCE in parts of what is
now Nepal, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar
on the north-eastern Indian
subcontinent. While there is
disagreement between denominations
over the Buddha's teachings,[4] nearly
all Buddhists recognize some version
of the Tipitaka ("Three Baskets"),
though it plays a far more central role
in Theravada Buddhism than in
Mahayana Buddhism. Also, Mahayana
Buddhists recognize a set of texts
called the Mahayana Sutras which
Theravadins do not accept.
29. UK Learning Academy
National Holidays
• Christmas Day
• Boxing Day
• New Years Day
• Good Friday
• Easter Sunday
• Easter Monday
• Bank Holidays
» May Mon First wk Last wk
» August Mon Last week
30. Bank Holidays in the UK
• There are 8 Bank Holidays in UK.
• 2* Easter
• 2 in May
• 1 in August
• 2 at Christmas
• 1 for New Year's Day
UK Learning Academy
31. UK Learning Academy
How Britain is Governed
• House of Lords
• House of Commons
• Prime Minister
• Cabinet
• MP’s
32. UK Learning Academy
Judiciary
• Magistrates Court (Minor offences)
• Crown Court (Major Offences)
• Civil Court
– Civil disputes
– Family
– Divorce
33. UK Learning Academy
Britain
• European Union
• European commission
• European Parliament
• Commonwealth
• United Nations
34. UK Learning Academy
Housing
• Buying a house: making an offer, solicitor and
surveyor, applying for mortgage, deposit
• Rented accommodation: private landlords,
tenancy agreement
• Local authority: council, housing associations
35. UK Learning Academy
Services for the household
• Water
• Electricity
• Gas
• Telephone
• Refuse collection
• Council tax
• Home & Contents
insurance
36. UK Learning Academy
Money and credit
• Banks
• Building societies
• Post offices
• Social security
» cash and debit cards
» Credit and store cards
» Loans
» Insurance
37. UK Learning Academy
Healthcare
• Doctors
• Dentists
• Opticians
Find and register
If feeling
unwell:
1. Ring NHS Direct
24 hrs a day
2. Go to NHS walk
in centre
3. Make a hospital
appointment
38. UK Learning Academy
Healthcare charges
• Charges for prescription are free if:
• Under 16 yrs of age
• Aged 60 or over
• Pregnant, or have had a baby in the last 12
months
• Under 19 and in full time education
• Receiving Income Support, Jobseekers allowance,
Working Families or Disabilities Tax Credit.
• Suffering from a specified medical condition
39. UK Learning Academy
• Pregnancy: If you are expecting a baby, you have
legal right to time off work for ante natal care and to at
least 18 week maternity leave. these rights are available
to both full and part time workers. You may also be
entitles to maternity pay but his depends on how long
you have been working for your employer. For fathers
who have worked for their employer for at least 41
weeks are entitled to up to 2 weeks time off from work
with pay when their chid is born.
40. UK Learning Academy
Registrations
• Registering a birth
• Registering a death
• Registering a marriage
• All of the above should be done at your local
registrations office
41. UK Learning Academy
Education
• Pre-school: 2.5hours funding a day for 3 year olds
• Nursery: age 3-4
• Primary school: age 4-11
• Secondary school: age 12-16
• All education is free and compulsory for all children. It is
a parents responsibility to make sure their child goes to
school. Failure to do so, can result in the parent being
prosecuted.
42. UK Learning Academy
Schools
• Government schools
• Church and other
faith schools
• Independent schools
• Further education
(colleges etc.)
• Universities
43. UK Learning Academy
Driving
• The driving licence:
1. apply for a provisional licence
2. Pass a written theory test
3. Pass a practical test
• Overseas licence: A person who comes to
Britain must be able to produce a licence from another
country and may drive on the licence for up to 12
months.
• Motor insurance: it is an offence to drive a
vehicle without insurance.
44. UK Learning Academy
• Road tax and MOT: any vehicle that is being used
or is parked on a public road must display an up to date
road tax disc available from the post office. Vehicles that
are not taxed may be clamped or towed away.
• Safety: Seat belts must be worn by drivers and
passengers. Motorcyclists passengers must both wear
crash helmets. It is also an offence to drive whilst holding
a mobile phone.
• Speed limits:
• 30 mph in built up areas unless otherwise shown
• 60 mph on single carriageways
• 70 mph on motorways and dual carriageways
• Speed limits are lower for buses, lorries and cars towing
caravans.
45. UK Learning Academy
Identity documents
• Official documents from the Home Office
confirming your immigration status
• Certificate of Identity
• Passport or Travel Visa
• National Insurance Number
• Provisional or full driving licence
• Copy of a recent utility bill
• A rent or benefit book
46. UK Learning Academy
Employment
• Jobcentre plus
• Newspapers
• Agencies
• Internet
• Applying direct to companies
• Sometimes people find work by
volunteering
48. UK Learning Academy
Equal opportunities
It is against the law in England and Wales
for employers to discriminate against
someone at work because of their:
• Sex
• Nationality, race, colour or ethnic group
• Disability
• Religion, or
• Sexual orientation
49. UK Learning Academy
Starting work
• Contract : your employer will ask you to sign a contract stating
your pay, hours of work and holidays
• Tax: unless you are self employed tax is automatically taken from
your earnings by your employer and paid directly to the Inland
Revenue (the department responsible for collecting taxes). Money
raised from income tax pays for services provided by the
government, such as roads, education, the police and the armed
forces.
• Health and safety: employers have a legal duty to make sure
that they provide safe working arrangements for their employees.
There is also a legal duty on employees to obey safety regulations
and to work safely and responsibly.
50. UK Learning Academy
• National Insurance: Just before the 17th birthday
every person is sent a National Insurance number that is
used to identify their National Insurance contribution
record. Most newly accepted refugees are now given a
number automatically. you can apply for a National
Insurance number at your local social security or
Jobcentre plus.
• Pensions: everyone in Britain who has paid enough
National insurance contribution is entitled to receive a
pension from the state when they reach retirement age.
the retirement age for men is 65 and for women is 60.
• Trade unions: trade unions are organisations that
try to improve the pay and working conditions of their
members. they also give their members advice over
problems at work and will act on their behalf over
difficulties with their employer.
51. UK Learning Academy
• Losing your job: anyone who fails to do their job properly or is
unacceptably late or absent from work, is entitled to be given a
warning. If their conduct doesn’t improve they will probably given
notice to leave.
• Unfair dismissal: if anyone is dismissed from work unfairly or
life at work is made so difficult that they feel they have to leave they
may be entitled to compensation.
• Redundancy: if anyone loses their job because the company
they work for no longer needs someone to do that job or cannot
continue to employ then the employee may be entitled to
redundancy pay.
• Unemployment: if a person becomes unemployed they will be
entitled to claim Jobseekers Allowance.
• New deal: people who have been unemployed and claim
Jobseekers Allowance for six months or more are usually required to
join the New Deal programme if they wish to continue receiving
benefit.
52. UK Learning Academy
Working for yourself
• Help and advice: banks provide free advice on
setting up and running a business and are also able to
provide start up loans.
• Tax: self employed people are responsible for paying
their own tax and National Insurance, and each year
they must submit their business accounts to the Inland
Revenue.
53. UK Learning Academy
Children at work
• By law children aged 14 -16 may only do
light work
• No child under 16 is allowed to work
before 7am or after 7pm.
• No child under 16 is allowed to work more
than 12 hours a week during term time
54. UK Learning Academy
Sources of help and information
• Public libraries
• Computers
• Citizens advice
bureau
• The police service
• Post offices
• Legal advice
• Yellow pages
• Thomson local
• Local authority
services
• Tourist information
services
• Newspapers
• Television and
radio
55. UK Learning Academy
Knowing the law
• The police: are able to stop and search for any
doubt
• Reporting a crime: dial 999 or 112 in an
EMERGENCY.
• If you ever get arrested:
1. You have a right to see a solicitor
2. You have a right to tell your family where you are
3. You have the right to look at the codes of practice
57. UK Learning Academy
Have you ever seen a police officer out on the beat? Police officers are drawn from all sections of the community
Police officers also help and look after the victims of crime.
58. UK Learning Academy
ESOL Core Curriculum
• If you go to an ESOL class in England or
Wales, your teacher will work with the
Adult ESOL Core Curriculum.
• This book gives the teacher ideas about
what learners at different levels should be
learning.
59. UK Learning Academy
Human rights
• The human rights covers 16 rights from
the life journey of a person from birth to
death.
• You have rights of equal access to health
and social care
• Your employment rights under the
Disability Discrimination Act and
other Employment Laws
60. Draft Legislative Programme
announced
The Government's Draft Legislative
Programme sets out proposals for new
laws for the next session of Parliament in
draft form and gives you the chance to
comment - find more information on the
bills and how to get involved using the link
below.
UK Learning Academy
61. UK Learning Academy
Consumer protection
• A customer has full right to return a product if
they are not satisfied within 14 days of purchase
and in good condition. with a receipt as proof of
purchase.
• The same rules apply for customers shopping
via mail and the internet as well as cancellation
of orders can be done within seven working
days. A full refund is also provided if the goods
are not delivered on the date agreed or within 30
days.
