Back in the USSR.

[InsaneApache]

One module, headlined “tax responsibilities of a good citizen”, aims to help teenagers “understand the obligations if being a good citizen and discuss what should happen to hose who are not prepared to work under such obligations”.

One lesson plan – targeted at 14 to 16 year olds – requires students to “discuss whether it is good to pay the tax we do, considering the benefits we receive. If it is good, then why do people try not to pay?”

It continues: “Show class the remaining factfile slides on tax evasion. What do students think of those who refuse to pay tax or try and defraud the benefits system?

“Can they think of any example they may have heard of in their local area?”

A further “plenary session” asks: “What do students now think about paying taxes? In what other ways can we contribute to working together for a better society?

“What do students think about people who try to avoid paying taxes? Is it a victimless crime? What kind of penalties should such people be given when they are caught?”

Hmmm I obviously mistaken then.

[HoreTore]

Yes, that's an example of concretization, a standard tool in education.

It would take a parallell universe to make that into "kids snitching on their parents on behalf of the tax authorities".

[InsaneApache]

Yes, that's an example of concretization, a standard tool in education.

It would take a parallell universe to make that into "kids snitching on their parents on behalf of the tax authorities".

Except it's nothing to do with education which falls under the DOE. This was issued by the HMRC which collects taxes. Is that a bit clearer for you now?

[rory_20_uk]

Unless you are suggesting children should be expected to hide crimes their parents are committing, I'm still uncertian to the point.

[rvg]

Unless you are suggesting children should be expected to hide crimes their parents are committing, I'm still uncertian to the point.

Do you seriously expect a child to be able to detect a crime such as tax evasion? What the government will get out of this at best is a whole bunch of false alarms and lots of annoyed parents with clean reputation and good lawyers.

[HoreTore]

Do you seriously expect a child to be able to detect a crime such as tax evasion? What the government will get out of this at best is a whole bunch of false alarms and lots of annoyed parents with clean reputation and good lawyers.

Fortunately, this story is false, so the government won't have to worry about that kind of thing.

You are right, however, that a student would not divulge information on those close to them. The 15-year old because they know it's not appropriate/smart, the younger ones(which this module isn't for) won't know what it is anyway.

If I asked the question "do you know of any tax evasion/fraud here in your local area" to a class after discussing tax evasion, I would expect the following answers:

- some stories about how carpenters and such do work on the side
- a local celebrity/businessman/whatever who had been charged with tax evasion in the past, given the existance of such a figure
- a case widely reported in the national media in the past few weeks. Again given the existance of such a case
- local folklore about the dealings of some minor local business(kebab shop, pub, etc)
- one "wild card answer"

[rvg]

If I asked the question "do you know of any tax evasion/fraud here in your local area" to a class after discussing tax evasion, I would expect the following answers:

- some stories about how carpenters and such do work on the side
- a local celebrity/businessman/whatever who had been charged with tax evasion in the past, given the existance of such a figure
- a case widely reported in the national media in the past few weeks. Again given the existance of such a case
- local folklore about the dealings of some minor local business(kebab shop, pub, etc)
- one "wild card answer"

Asking for examples is one thing, following up on hearsay generated by kids is a whole different story. The former would help the kids better define and understand the issue, the latter would be a waste of taxpayers' money.

[rory_20_uk]

Do you seriously expect a child to be able to detect a crime such as tax evasion? What the government will get out of this at best is a whole bunch of false alarms and lots of annoyed parents with clean reputation and good lawyers.

I am pretty sure a 15 year old can detect tax evasion in some cases.

I am sure there will be false alarms. But since this is a screening test that is acceptable.

Perhaps the government would review the alarms, investigate the most plausible, collect information above hearsay and action it?

[rvg]

I am pretty sure a 15 year old can detect tax evasion in some cases.

Such as? Barring the case of "Go to sleep, junior, Ima gunna do me some tax evadin'".

[HoreTore]

Except it's nothing to do with education which falls under the DOE. This was issued by the HMRC which collects taxes. Is that a bit clearer for you now?

Lots of organizations provide material for education. It's only natural that the tax authorities are among them, since taxation is in the curriculum in at least two subjects. Churches do it, banks do it, IT companies do it, everyone and their mom does it.

While no teacher uses the material from start to finish, it is still of great help. It provides ideas, inspiration, examples, assignments, etc. Usually when I start planning how to teach a subject, I look through these looking for ideas as well as actual examples, which I then modify slightly or heavily so that it fits what I intend my students to learn.

On the subjet of taxes, specifically tax evasion, a question like the one above is quite mandatory. Tax evasion can be a highly abstract subject, and students need to tie it down to something they already know in order to grasp it(this is a constructivist view of education, mind you). There are two ways to approach this. You can either start with the concrete and move to the abstract, or you can start with the abstract and move it to the concrete. The material you have come across does the latter. I don't really have a preference here, I think both work equally well and it depends more on what comes natural.

Just before summer, I was teaching about the move from heavy industry to the current economy, and I did the opposite: I started by getting my students to identify some old buildings in my town(an office building, a stock exchange and an apartment complex), got them to find out what they used to be(a rubber factory, a stock exchange for timber and toll booth/dock warehouses) and had them figure out why they changed that way. Then we moved to the national level and finally looked at the international level. Worked great, if I may say so.