DirectgovKids

Fair shares

Introduction

In this activity, you'll be in charge of the DirectgovKids world. Which areas are going to get the most money? Which areas will get least?

These are the areas that need to be funded in the DirectgovKids world.

  • Education and Schools
  • Health and Hospitals
  • The police force
  • The fire service
  • Public transport
  • Waste and sewage
  • Parks and zoos
  • International aid
  • Museums and libraries
  • Energy

Imagine that you have fifty DGK credits in your monthly budget. How would you divide up these 50 credits? Write down the 10 areas above on a piece of paper. Then, next to each area, write down how many credits you intend to give them. Remember that the total number of credits must not be more than 50.

When you have finished, scroll down the page and look at how we have decided to divide up our 50 credits. Although this isn't the right answer, it is fairly close to the way in which the government divides up its tax money in the real world.

  • Education and Schools: 8 credits
  • Health and Hospitals: 10 credits
  • The police force: 7 credits
  • The fire service: 6 credits
  • Public transport: 5 credits
  • Waste and sewage: 4 credits
  • Parks and zoos: 3 credits
  • International aid: 4 credits
  • Museums and libraries: 4 credits
  • Energy: 5 credits

Do you think you will always divide up your budget in the same way? Or will certain months be different? We have listed a series of up-and-coming events below? In each case, one of the areas above will be affected. Can you work out which area will need more money that month? We've put the answers underneath the list of events.

Up-and-coming events

  1. A festival is about to take place in the DirectgovKids park. Over 5,000 people have bought tickets.
  2. The fleet of buses in the DirectgovKids world have come to the end of their natural life. They need to be replaced because they keep breaking down.
  3. Crops have failed in a Central African country. They need countries in the West to send aid as soon as possible.
  4. A flu epidemic is on its way to the DirectgovKids world. Neighbouring towns have already been affected.
  5. The river is about to burst its banks after recent storms. People will need to be evacuated from their homes and water will need to be pumped away from the high street.
  6. National Reading Day is coming up and children will be flooding to their local libraries to borrow books.

Answers

  1. You will need to spend more on your parks and zoos budget.
  2. You will need to spend more on your transport budget.
  3. You will need to spend more on your international aid budget.
  4. You will need to spend more on your hospital budget.
  5. You will need to spend more on your fire service budget.
  6. You will need to spend more on your museums and libraries budget.

Sometimes the choices you have made about funding will be tested. Will you have enough in your budget to cope with unexpected events? We have listed a number of random events below. Which areas of your budget will be tested in each case? We have put the answers at the bottom of the page.

Random events

  1. Five bikes were stolen from the bike sheds in the DirectgovKids school.
  2. There was a fire in the DirectgovKids hotel.
  3. Five office workers were trapped in a lift in the DirectgovKids offices
  4. Hundreds of office workers get food poisoning at the same time.
  5. A blizzard has covered train lines with snow.
  6. The landfill site in the DirectgovKids world is full up and there is no more space to bury rubbish.

Answers

  1. Your police budget will be tested. Have the police been to the school to tell the children about putting security marks on their bikes? Will there be enough police officers to arrest the robbers?
  2. Your fire service budget will be tested. Will there be enough fire fighters on hand to put out the fire?
  3. Your fire service budget will be tested. Will there be enough fire fighters on hand to rescue the office workers?
  4. Your health and hospitals budget will be tested. Will there be enough doctors and nurses on hand to cope with the increased numbers of patients.
  5. Your transport budget will be tested. Will rail workers be able to clear the snow and ice and get the trains running on time?
  6. Your waste and sewage budget will be tested. Will there be enough money in the budget to create a new landfill site or to encourage the people in the town to recycle more?

Where would you like to go next?