Life In the UK – Questionnaire

1. Chapter 1 - The Making of the United Kingdom

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Life In the UK – Questionnaire
2. Chapter 2 – A Changing Society
Migration to Britain :

1. Some of the historical Reasons for immigration to the UK

 In 16th and 18th Century, Huguenots (French Protestants) came to Britain to escape religious
persecution in France
 In mid 1840s there was a terrible famine in Ireland and many Irish people migrated to Britain.
Many Irish people became labourers and helped to build canals and railways acriss Britain
 From 1880-1910, a lot of Jewish people came to Britain to escape racist attacks (called ‘pogroms’)
in what was then called the Russian empire and from the countries now called Poland, Ukraine
and Belarus

2. Some of the reasons for immigration to the UK since 1945

 1948, people from West Indies were invited to rebuild Britain after 2 nd world war.
 During 1950s there was still shortage of labourers. UK encouraged immigration in 1950s for
economic reasons
 West indies, india, Pakistan and Bangladesh – 25 yrs
 Immigration rule toughened in 1960

3. The main immigrant groups coming to the UK since 1945, the countries they came from and the kind
of work they did
 1972 – thousands of Indian origin ppl had to leave Uganda
 Since 1979, more than 25000 refugees from south east asia have been allowed to settle in the UK
 In 1980s, the largest immigrant group was – US, AUS, SA,NZ
 In early 90s, groups of ppl from former soviet union came to Britain looking for a new and safer
way of life.
 Since 94, there has been a global rise in mass migration for both political and economic reasons

The changing Role of women:

1. When women aged over 30 were given the right to vote - 1918
2. When women were given equal voting rights with men- 1928
3. Some of the important developments to create equal rights in the workplace
 Woman in Britain make 51% of population and 45% of workforce

Children family and young people:

 65% Children live with both parents, 25% live in lone-parent families and 10% live with step
family

1. The proportion of all young people who go on to higher education 33% (1 in 3)

2. Lifestyle patterns of children and young people (e.g. Pocket money, leaving home on reaching
adulthood)
 Most Children in Britain get pocket money and many get extra money for doing jobs around the
house.
3. Changing family patterns and attitude to changing family patterns (e.g. Divorce)
 Education in Britain is free and compulsory and that there is compulsory testing (in England and
Scotland) at ages 7,11 and 14; there are also GCSE and/or vocational exams at 16 and advanced
level exams (A & AS) at ages 17 & 18
 There is government target that half of all young people attend higher education
 There are strict laws regarding the employment of children
 There are important health concerns and laws relating to children and young people and
smoking, alcohol and drugs
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 Young people are eligible to vote in elections from age 18.

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3. Chapter 3 – UK Today: A Profile

Population & The nations and regions of the UK

1. The size of the current UK population, the population of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland

In 2005, the population of the UK was just under 60 million

England 84% 50.1 m
Scotland 08% 05.1 m
Wales 05% 02.9 m
Northern Ire 03% 01.7 m

2. What the census is and when the next one will be

Census is counting people, collect data about, age, occupation, sex, place of birth, ethnicity, housing,
health and marital status. A census has been taken every 10 years since 1801 except during the
second world war. Next census will be in 2011.

3. What the largest ethnic monitories in the UK are

White 92% 54.2 m
Mixed white 1.2% 00.7 m
Indian 1.8% 01.1 m
Pakistani 1.3% 00.7 m
Bangladeshi 0.5% 00.3 m
Other Asian 0.4% 00.2 m
Black Caribbean 1.0% 00.6 m
Black African 0.8% 00.5 m
Black Others 0.2% 00.1 m
Chinese 0.4% 00.2 m
Other 0.4% 00.2 m

4. Where most ethnic minority people live

45% of all ethnic minorities live in London area where they form nearly 1/3 rd of the population (29%)
Other areas of England with largest ethnic monirity populations are the West Midlands, the South
East, the North West, the Yorkshire and the Humberside
Minority percentage in each country –
England 9%
Scotland 2%
Wales 2%
Northern Ire <1%

5. What languages other than English are spoken in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland
Wales – Welsh
Scotland – Gaelic
N.Ireland – Irish Gaelic – Dialects – Ulster Scots

6. Some of the ways you can identify regional differences in the UK

Religion:

1. The percentage of UK population that say they are Christian

71.6% (10% of whom are Catholic)
2. How many people say they have no religion
15.5%
3. What percentage are Hindu, Muslim, Sikhs, Jewish, Buddhist
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Life In the UK – Questionnaire
Muslims – 2.7%, Hindu – 1% Sikh – 0.6%, Jewish - 0.5%, Buddhist – 0.3% Other 0.3%
Total all – 77%
Not stated – 7.3%
 Everyone in the UK has the right to practice their religion
 The Anglican church, or Church of England is the Church of the state in England (Established
Church)
 The monarch (King or Queen) is the head of the Church of England
 In Scotland the established Church is the Presbyterian Church of Scotland. In Wales and Northern
Ireland, there is no established Church
Customs and Traditions:

1. Which sports are most popular in the UK

Football, Tennis, Rugby and Cricket
2. The patron saint’s day in England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
Wales - St David’s Day 1st March
N.Ireland - St Patrick’s Day 17th March
England - St Gerorge’s Day 23rd April
Scotland - St Andrew’s Day 30th November

3. What Bank holidays are

4. The main traditional festivals in the UK
Halloween – 31st October
Guy Fawkes night – 5th Nov
Rememberance Day – 11th Nov

The main festivals in the UK are Christian based, but the important festivals from other religions are
explained to children in schools

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Life In the UK – Questionnaire
4. Chapter 4 – How the United Kingdom is governed

The British Constitution:

1. The Role of the Monarchy

2. How parliament works and the difference between the House of Commons and the House of Lords
3. How often the General Elections are held
4. Where the official residence of the Prime Minister is
5. The role of the cabinet and who is in it
6. The nature of the UK constitution
7. The job of the opposition, the leader of the opposition and the shadow cabinet
8. The difference between “first past the post” and proportional representation
9. The form of electoral systems in the developed administrations in Northern Ireland, Scotland and
Wales
10. The rights and duties of British Citizens and naturalised Citizens
11. How the judiciary, police and local authorities work
12. What non-departmental public bodies are
The UK in Europe and the World:

1. The differences between the Council of Europe, the European Union, the European Commission and
the European Parliament
2. The UK is the member of the Council of Europe and European Union
3. The EU aims to become a single market and it is administered by a council of ministers of
governments of member states
4. Subject o restrictions, EU citizens may travel to and work in any EU country
5. The Roles of the UN and the commonwealth

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6. Chapter 5 – Everyday Needs

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7. The roles of the UN and the commonwealth

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8. Chapter 5 – Everyday Needs

Housing & Services in and out of the home:

1. The process for buying and renting accomodation

2. Where to get advice about accomodation and moving
3. The role of an estate agent
4. Housing priorities for local authorities
5. Where to get help if you are homeless
6. How you can pay for the water you use at home
7. Recycling your waste
8. What council tax pays for
9. What to do if you have problems with your neighbours
Money and credit:

1. What you need to open a bank or building society account

2. What debit, credit and store cards are
3. What a credit union is
4. What insurance is
5. How to get help with benefits and problems with debt
Health:

1. How to find and register with GP

2. What to do if you feel unwell
3. How to find other services such as chemists and opticians
4. When it is possible to attend A&E without a doctor’s letter
5. Who can get free prescriptions
6. When you should phone 999 or 112
7. What NHS Direct can do
8. Who can give health advice and treatment when you are pregnant and after you have a baby
9. How to register a birth
Education:

1. The different stages of a child’s education

2. There are differences in the education systems in England , Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland
3. There are different kind of schools and some of them charge fees
4. What the national curriculum is
5. What the governing body of school does
6. Options for young people at the age of 16
7. Courses available at FE colleges
8. Where you can get English classes or other education for adults, including University
Leisure & Travel and Transport

1. How films are classified

2. Why you need a television license
3. The rules about the selling and drinking of Alcohol
4. How to get a driving license
5. What you need to do to be allowed to drive a vehicle in the UK
6. What you should do if you have an accident
7. When you might have to prove your identity and how you can do it

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9. Chapter 6 – Employment

Looking for Work:

1. The Home Office can provide the guidance on who is entitled to work in the UK
2. NARIC can advice on how qualification from overseas compare with qualifications from the UK
3. What CVs are
4. Who can be a referee
5. What happens if any of the information you have given is untrue
6. When you need a CRB check
7. Where you can find out about training opportunities and job seeking
8. Benefits of volunteering in terms of work experience and community involvement
Equal Rights and Discrimination :

1. The categories covered by the law and exceptions

2. Equal job/equal pay regardless of gender
3. The different commissions working to promote equal opportunities
4. The grounds for sexual harassment complaints
At Work:

1. The importance of Contracts of Employment

2. The minimum wage and holiday entitlement
3. Information that has to be provided in payslips
Tax:

1. What is deducted from your earnings and why

2. The difference between being self employed and employed
3. Where to get help if you need it when filling out forms
4. The purpose of national insurance and what happens if you don’t pay enough contributions
5. How you can get a national insurance number
Pensions:

1. Who is entitled to a pension

2. What age men and women can get a pension

Health and Safety:

1. Employer and employee obligations

2. What to do if you have concerns about health and safety

Trade Unions:

1. What they are and who can join

Losing your Job:

1. Where to go if you need advice on a problem at work

2. Possible reasons for dismissal
3. The role of Employment Tribunals
4. Who can help
5. The timescale for complaining
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6. Entitlement to redundancy pay

Self Employment:

1. Responsibility for keeping detailed records and paying tax and National Insurance
2. The role of business link
Childcare:

Maternity and paternity rights:

1. Entitlement to maternity leave and pay for both full time and part time workers
2. Paternity leave entitlement
3. The importance of following the right procedures and providing sufficient notice
Children at work:

1. Minimum age for starting work

2. Jobs that children under 16 are not allowed to do
3. The maximum hours allowed
4. License and medical certificate requirements
5. The local authority’s role in licensing and protecting children in employment
6. Parent’s responsibilities to ensure that children work within the law and get proper education

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Life In the UK – Questionnaire
10. Chapter 7 – Knowing the law

The Rights and Duties of a Citizen, Criminal Courts, Civil Courts & Legal advice and aid

1. How the police force is organised and the responsibilities of the police
2. How to report a crime
3. Your rights if you are stopped and searched or arrested
4. How to make a complaint about the police and get support if you are the victim of a crime
5. It is illegal to carry a weapon
6. The different types of criminal and civil courts
7. How to get legal advice and legal aid
Human Rights & Children

1. What the human rights act is

2. What equal opportunities is and how to get more information about it
3. The laws about marriage divorce and domestic violence
4. The laws about parental responsibilities for children
5. How to get support about parenting
6. Children’s rights and support for children and young people
Consumer Protection:

1. Consumer rights for items bought in shops and by mail order, phone or on the internet
2. Consumer rights for services
3. How to make complaints and get help and advice

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Life In the UK – Questionnaire
11. Chapter 8 – Sources of help and information

Public Libraries, Citizen Advice Bureau, The police Service & Other sources of information

1. What services libraries offer

2. What services Citizen Advice Bureau offer
3. What help and advice you can get from the police
4. When you should phone 999 or 112, and when you should not phone these numbers
5. There are many sources of information and advice in the UK, such as the local authority, the post
office and advice centres
6. There are also helplines and other resources such as local newspapers and telephone directories
7. The internet is very useful source of information

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