Liverpool Archdiocese
Secondary Schools’ Partnership
Student Voice Conference 2015
‘British Values – A Student’s Perspective’
British Values Booklet
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Democracy
All members of a group have an input into the decisions that are made.
Britain is a democracy – this means that the people in Britain vote for the people who make the laws and decide how
the country is run. If we didn’t have a democracy, just one person might be able to make all the laws and that would
not be fair.
The word democracy literally means “rule by the people.” It is derived from a Greek word coined from the words
demos (“people”) and kratos (“rule”) in the middle of the 5th century BC as a name for the political system that
existed at the time in some of the cities of Greece, notably Athens. This means that all members of a group get a say
in the decisions that are made.
There are different types of democracy too! These are; Direct democracy and representative democracy.
Direct democracy takes place usually within smaller groups, where everyone involved can be together and have their
say e.g. in a band or a team. When a suggestion is posed, each member will get to vote in favour or against it. This
means they are directly involved in the decision making.
Representative democracy is used when there a lots of people in a particular group, such as a local community or
even the country as a whole. As it is very difficult to gather EVERYBODY together to have their vote, each person can
have their say to choose or ‘elect’ somebody to represent them, to create a core group of individuals who make the
decisions on behalf of the others. This is how our government works, with members voted in to parliament to
represent different areas.
The following Bible passage is argued to support the idea of democracy and elected leaders;
‘Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that
exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and
those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear
of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God's servant for
your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an
avenger who carries out God's wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God's
wrath but also for the sake of conscience...’
Useful links:
http://study.com/academy/lesson/what-is-democracy-definition-types-principles.html
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-23607302
http://listcrux.com/10-reasons-why-democracy-is-best-for-any-country/
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Rule of Law
Every citizen is subject to the law, including law makers themselves.
The rule of law means, the principle that all people and institutions are subject to and accountable to law that is
fairly applied and enforced; the principle of government by law.
This can be broken down in to the four principles;
1. The government and its officials and agents as well as individuals and private entities are accountable under the
law.
2. The laws are clear, publicized, stable, and just; are applied evenly; and protect fundamental rights, including the
security of persons and property.
3. The process by which the laws are enacted, administered, and enforced is accessible, fair, and efficient.
4. Justice is delivered timely by competent, ethical, and independent representatives and neutrals who are of
sufficient number, have adequate resources, and reflect the makeup of the communities they serve
In short, In Britain we have a police force who make sure people do not do the wrong thing and break the law – this
means that we are safe. This means that citizens have a duty to uphold the law and there are systems in place to
deal with people who break the law.
Useful links:
http://www.unrol.org/article.aspx?article_id=3
http://www.theguardian.com/education/2014/nov/11/british-values-pupils-question-rule-of-law
https://www.gov.uk/browse/justice/rights
https://www.judiciary.gov.uk/about-the-judiciary/the-justice-system/court-structure/
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Individual Liberty
The freedom to choose and hold other faiths and beliefs is protected in law.
Individual liberties are basic rights and freedoms granted to citizens of a country through law.
They include freedom of speech, freedom of movement, the right to marry, freedom of assembly, freedom
of association, freedom of religious worship, the right to vote, the right of privacy, the right to a fair trial,
the right to be free from unreasonable searches of your home or person without a warrant.
These rights and freedoms form the basis of a democratic society (like ours) and are often denied to those
living in a dictatorship.
Liberties are distinct from human rights, human rights are universal rights and freedoms to which all
people throughout the world should be entitled to. These do often overlap.
Key Issue
The key idea for discussion and debate is that limitless freedom of expression can lead to problems in a
peaceful and orderly society. How can countries get the balance right? Is there a ‘right’?
Below is an extract from a speech by security minister James Brokenshire MP on ‘Getting the Balance right’
between individual liberty and safety for those in society on 3rd July 2013 highlighting some threats based
on our individual liberties in this country.
“The threats facing our country are many and varied.
*The terrorist who kills, maims and seeks to spread fear.
* The extremist who exploits our commitment to freedom of speech to incite hatred and violence.
* The drug dealer who lays waste to our communities.
* The cyber fraudster who steals our data and our money.”
Some biblical verses about Individual liberty;
‘The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind
up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound’
‘So if the Son sets you free, you will be free indeed’
Useful links:
http://www.humanium.org/en/fundamental-rights/freedom/
http://www.politics.co.uk/reference/civil-liberties
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7062237.stm
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Current debates on Civil Liberties and Freedoms in the UK, videos on this issue and further information
http://www.parliament.uk/education/about-your-parliament/current-affairs-and-political-debates/civilliberties-and-freedoms/
6th Form lesson activity example to get ideas how to explore individual freedoms in a lesson activity:
http://www.parliament.uk/education/teaching-resources-lesson-plans/personal-freedoms/
Which countries are ‘free’ratings based on Individual Liberties in different countries by Freedom House.
https://freedomhouse.org/report/freedom-world/freedom-world-2014
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Mutual Respect
Respecting each other’s rights to hold different views, have different opinions and choose
how to live.
We might not always agree with other people, but we try to show respect for their thoughts and feelings.
We can give respect to others and we can expect other people to show us respect.
As a British Value, mutual respect means that we respect each other’s’ rights to hold different views, have different
opinions and live freely. Mutual means that the respect is reciprocal. That means you have the right to be respected
in terms of your choices, lifestyle and commitments. It also means however that you must respect the rights and
decisions of others, even if you don’t agree with them. Due to the fact that the respect is MUTUAL, it lessens the
possibility for extremism, violence and segregation.
Mutual respect ensures that we treat each other fairly and have respect for the differences between us as a positive
force for diversity!
Bible references about mutual respect;
‘Show proper respect to everyone: Love the brotherhood of believers, fear God, honour the king’
‘A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another.’
‘By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.‘
‘Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Honour one another above yourselves.’
Useful links:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-27784747
http://www.brainyquote.com/quotes/keywords/mutual_respect.html
http://www.slideshare.net/sgordo53/mutual-respect
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Tolerance of Other Faiths
Respecting and recognizing the beliefs or practices of others who differ from our own.
As a diverse, multi-cultural and multi-faith country, tolerance of others faiths is an important British Value. In Britain
we accept that other people might have different beliefs than ours and they may believe in different religions.
We only have to look at the census information from recent years to show how the range of faiths in the country is
changing.
•
In 2011, London was the most diverse region with the highest proportion of people identifying themselves as
Muslim, Buddhist, Hindu and Jewish. The North East and North West had the highest proportion of
Christians and Wales had the highest proportion of people reporting no religion.
•
Knowsley was the local authority with the highest proportion of people reporting to be Christians at 80.9 per
cent and Tower Hamlets had the highest proportion of Muslims at 34.5 per cent (over 7 times the England
and Wales figure).
Bible verses about tolerance of other faiths;
‘Judge not, that you be not judged.’
‘But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father
who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust.’
‘There is neither Jew, nor Greek, there is neither slave, nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in
Christ Jesus.’
Useful links;
http://www.afan.uk.net/
http://www.religioustolerance.org/rel_tol.htm
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/4075442.stm
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