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AIBU?

to wonder if this is really happening? parents are being asked to confirm if their kids are British born.

344 replies

someonestolemynick · 06/10/2016 13:04

A few messages popped up on social media today by parents whose school asked them to confirm if the child in question is foreign born. One friend said this was being done by all schools today.
I don't have kids and am an EU national.
I have been disappointed by the referendum result but have adopted a "Wait and see" approach.
Yesterday's announcements of companies having to list foreign employees coupled with today's rumours is really freaking me out.

Have you been asked today to confirm your child's nationality by their school? Aibu to be fucking terrified?

OP posts:

Report

TheColonelAdoresPuffins · 06/10/2016 13:06

Yes we were asked to let them know.

JellyBelli · 06/10/2016 13:07

Yes its really happening. Businessess have to report foreign workers as well.
Some people are not concerned by this and annoyed by complaints, so don your tin hat.

AnnaleeP · 06/10/2016 13:07

It's not compulsory to give them the information.

Lottapianos · 06/10/2016 13:08

Like you OP, I have no kids so no direct experience of this but YANBU to be terrified and horrified. Xenophobia seems to be becoming more and more acceptable and mainstream

Tuiles · 06/10/2016 13:08

Yes we had a form with contact details, meal status, how we get to school etc. This was posed as a 'make sure we have the correct info' task. At the bottom we were asked their nationality 'as displayed on birth certificate or passport'

Borntoflyinfirst · 06/10/2016 13:10

We had the usual data form sent home with an extra bit to confirm nationality and place of birth. I understood this to be for census reasons. I don't really understand why it's a problem to give this information if you're not trying to hide something.

Oysterbabe · 06/10/2016 13:10

Christ.

gonetoseeamanaboutadog · 06/10/2016 13:11

What did people think was going to happen? Leaving the Eu makes foreigners ' foreign '. It's an entirely new situation. Of course the government, now the UK is a little entity again, it's going to need stats on who is here and why. It's what they do with that that could be xenophobic

I don't agree with it BTW but can't really believe anyone thought brexit wouldn't involve this.

JellyBelli · 06/10/2016 13:12

Since you have to show a birth certificate or passport, it is compulsory.

Ellieboolou27 · 06/10/2016 13:12

Yes I've had a form like this, actually it's the second one! First one was completed before dd went into reception, all the parents said they'd already filled it in, however this was before the leave vote.

MaudGonneMad · 06/10/2016 13:13

There was a thread raising awareness of this last week where the OP was roundly berated for overreacting.

It's not compulsory to provide this information though.

Ellieboolou27 · 06/10/2016 13:13

Mine was also compulsory (can't remember if first form was though)

ItsAllGoingToBeFine · 06/10/2016 13:14

Yes it's really happening. Only England and Wales though.

someonestolemynick · 06/10/2016 13:14

Wow. Escape plan is being put into action today.

The problem with collecting this info on a variety of flimsy pretexts is the possibility to round up foreign nationals and deport them with ease.

OP posts:

bumblefeline · 06/10/2016 13:14

Yes we had one the other day to confirm nationality and country of birth.

gonetoseeamanaboutadog · 06/10/2016 13:15

I do think it's purely information at this stage though like any other form of screening.

RustyBear · 06/10/2016 13:16

This is being asked because of it's now part of the School census, which sends information about all children at schools to the government once each term. This term's census takes place today.

Information about ethnicity and first language has been included in this information for years, but this term is the first time they are asking for Country of Birth and Nationality.

At the school I work at, all parents have been asked to complete a form showing this information, not just (as some schools appear to be doing) asking parents to inform them if their child was not born in the UK, or has a nationality other than UK.

The schools have to ask for this information, but parents do NOT have to give it - the information can be entered on the school management system as 'Refused' 'Not Yet Obtained' or 'Not Known' (though this last is only meant to be used if the nationality is genuinely not known by the child's carers)

I'm surprised schools are leaving it this late to ask, our first forms went out to parents last summer term (incidentally, before the EU vote, so this is not a reaction to Brexit) , with just the parents of new children being asked in September.

Bobochic · 06/10/2016 13:16

I'm not sure why anyone should be surprised about this. EU membership gave travel/work/residency privileges to British citizens within the EU (I am someone who availed herself of those privileges) and to other EU citizens within the U.K. Leaving the EU means removing those privileges.

Borntoflyinfirst · 06/10/2016 13:16

I guess I'm just naive in thinking that this information isn't secret anyway and doesn't mean that it's going to be 'used against' anyone. I'm not saying it won't be - but why do people assume it's going to result in something awful. It's just data at this point. Maybe I live in a bubble.

HateSummer · 06/10/2016 13:16

Wait. It's not to confirm they're British born. It's to confirm what their nationality is and where they were born. There's a difference.

MaudGonneMad · 06/10/2016 13:17

Here's the other thread: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2744735-Your-school-will-ask-you-for-your-childs-nationality-and-place-of-birth

The policy seems rather different now that we know the government also want to collect and publish data on firms employing foreign workers to 'flush them out' and 'shame' them.

PassTheCremeEggs · 06/10/2016 13:18

It's not compulsory to provide this info and it's being used for the schools' census. But it obviously has implications which will worry many people. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/sep/26/parents-boycott-requests-childrens-country-of-birth-information

FranHastings · 06/10/2016 13:20

Hmm. Neither of the schools my children attend said providing the information was optional.

RustyBear · 06/10/2016 13:26

The decision to collect this data was taken well before the Brexit vote - we've known for some time it was coming, and as I said above, we asked the parents of our existing pupils for it last term, so we could avoid a rush to get the information on our systems in September.

NellysKnickers · 06/10/2016 13:30

It's just for the school census which is taking place today. I doubt all 'forriners' will be rounded up and shot.

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