Across the UK, as many as one in five young people and children are thought to be caring for someone else. Should they be paid a fair wage for doing so?
This resource includes an article about carers from The Week Junior, and a set of activities based on the story that encourage pupils to consider the value of caring; how much they themselves may benefit from it; and what is involves as a career.
This PDF resource includes this article, as well as accompanying activity ideas:
- Caring for family members just comes naturally to most people. The trouble is that it can take up a lot of time and effort. Some people can claim an allowance from the Government but, at less than £2 per hour, it is a tiny fraction of what they would probably be earning if they did not have their caring responsibilities. Should carers be paid a fair wage for their caring duties? After all, you can be sure that people in power would not expect anyone else to work for £2 per hour. Or is that simply not affordable for our country? Anyway, isn’t caring an act of love and you can’t put a price on that? What do you think?
- Even if you do not have any additional needs, there is bound to be someone who cares for you. It doesn’t have to be a member of your family; it could be a friend or a teacher. Write that person a thank you letter to show them that you appreciate all they do for you
- Imagine that you are your own parent or carer. Write a diary entry for a typical day of looking after you, remembering to use conjunctions to sequence your ideas chronologically. See if you can identify all the ways in which that person looks after you
- Some people, especially the elderly, need to be looked after in special care homes. Research what skills, experience and qualifications you need to get a job as a care assistant in a care home and what you would be expected to do
Find the entire series of Topical Tuesday resources to download here.
What is The Week Junior?
The Week Junior magazine looks at current affairs and helps children make sense of the world, provides context and clarity to complex issues, improves general knowledge and encourages discussion and debate.
To find out more about The Week Junior and to download its free resources, please go to schools.theweekjunior.co.uk.