Back to: Civic Education Primary 1
Welcome to class. Today, we will be discussing about our right and duties as a citizen.
Enjoy the class.
Meaning of Rights
Rights could be defined as what citizens of a country deserve or the privileges they are entitled to because they belong to the country. Every citizen has certain rights which are usually stated in the constitution of the country.
Rights may be defined as certain privileges that every citizen enjoys in a country, irrespective of sex, tribe, and creed. These rights remain privileges only as long as the state recognizes and protects them.
These rights are generally known as fundamental human rights. Rights are the benefits given by government to her citizens to enjoy.
Examples of Rights of Citizens
- Right to life.
- Right to dignity of human person.
- Right to personal freedom.
- Right to privacy.
- Right to freedom of thoughts, conscience and religion.
- Right to freedom of expression.
- Right to freedom of association.
- Right to fair hearing and equality under the law.
- Right to education.
- Right to movement and habitation.
- Right to freedom from torture, inhuman or degrading punishment.
- Right to vote and be voted for.
Meaning of Duties
Taking a critical look at the word ‘Duty’ – We mean those things a citizen is expected to do for the up-keep of the government and for the state to continue to perform its functions to the citizen. Put simply, duties are the obligations and actions which are expected from citizens in return for the rights they enjoy. Duties refer to the basic things that the constitution tells the citizens to do from time to time.
Obligations are the citizen’s moral considerations in the discharge of their civil actions to make government more efficient. While duties have legal backings, obligations have moral backings.
Duties of Citizen
Some of these duties and obligations include:
- Obeying the law
- Loyalty to the country.
- Respect for the national symbols.
- Defence of the country.
- Payment of taxes, rates and duties
- Obedience to law
- Voting at elections
- Respect for constituted authorities
- Detection and prevention of crimes
- Respecting the rights of another individual
- Enlistment
- Respect for National symbols
- National service
Unsolicited obligations
Unsolicited obligations refer to those things which we do on our own to ensure the progress of our society. They are not imposed on us. Here are some examples of unsolicited obligations:
- If a tap is left running, you could turn it off.
- Community leaders could settle disputes among the other members of the community.
- Younger people could visit elderly people and ensure they are comfortable.
- If an accident occurs, call the ambulance. Call those who are old enough to give first aid treatment to the victims.
- Help victims of disasters.
Distinction Between Rights and Duties
Rights and duties are two sides of the same coin. One does not exist without the other. The test of someone has the ‘right’ to something is by whether if someone else has the duty to provide it. The two terms ‘right and its correlative duty’ are inseparable from each other. So, to understand the difference between them, we differentiate the two terms.
| Rights | Duties | |
| Definition | It is the privilege granted to the people by a governing body and are written into law. | It is responsibilities or obligations of an individual, by the governing body, that are required to done by the said individual. |
| Law | It can be defended or challenged by the court of law. | The duties of a citizen cannot be challenged by the court. |
| Basis | It is based on privilege granted to an individual. | It is based on accountability of performing duties by an individual. |
Entitlement or Task:
|
Rights are entitlements that people have. | Obligations are individual tasks that need to be completed by those who are privileged by their rights.
|
For Whom:
|
Rights are for one’s self.
|
Obligations are mostly for others.
|
Connection to Society:
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Rights are what we gain from the society.
|
Obligations are what we do for the society.
|
| rights are given to people to protect their basic freedoms | responsibility is given to those in charge to uphold those rights. |
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