Rights & responsibilities

Freedom of information

Synopsis

This lesson teaches students about citizens' rights to receive information from Government departments. After completing a thought provoking exercise that requires students to consider the pros and cons of disclosing information in classified Government documents, students go on to learn about the official Freedom of Information (FOI) Act. They are required to discuss and debate the balance that Government departments need to achieve between granting citizens rights and upholding their own responsibilities to the wider society. Students are required to work in teams and play the role of members of the MOD's FOI team to review requests for defence information. After identifying pros and cons, they decide on whether the requests for information should be granted.

MOD Topic

Freedom of information

Curriculum Checklist

1.2: a, b, c, d

Scotland - Higher Modern Studies, Political Awareness, Human Rights, Media Awareness

Curriculum Links

• Media studies
• English

Prior Knowledge

Knowledge of human rights will improve the students' ability to debate the topics within this lesson.

Learning Outcomes

Lower ability students will:

• Be aware of the Freedom of Information Act and that exemptions can be applied.
• Debate and discuss the pros and cons associated with giving citizens the right to access Government information.
• Have some opinions about the MOD applying exemptions under the Act.

Average ability students will:

• Understand the Freedom of Information Act and that exemptions can be applied.
• Debate and discuss the pros and cons associated with giving citizens the right to access Government information.
• Have opinions about the MOD applying exemptions under the Act and whether exemptions seem justified or not.

Higher ability students will:

• Fully understand the Freedom of Information Act and the reasons why exemptions are required.
• Debate and discuss the balance between citizens' rights to information and the Government's responsibilities to its citizens.
• Have informed and justified opinions about MOD applying exemptions to some information under the Act and whether exemptions seem justified or not.

Lesson code

C7