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

[someonestolemynick]

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?

I gave my children's nationality when I registered them at their schools. That information has not changed and being asked to reaffirm it now because of our government's current xenophobia is insulting and creepy. If I am given an 'update your information' type form I will ignore it as nothing has changed that I need to inform their schools about.

I wonder about this scaremongering. What exactly is the purpose? I really question the credibility of people who do this.

I'm also surprised at the many people on here who seem to have encountered official forms of this type for the first time. As these forms and questions are as common as muck, I am wondering how it is possible for people to be so scared by this.

One person is even likening this to the Jewish Holocaust.

MN is bonkers about it. I started a thread but it got hysterical so I hid it!

oh, i remember this happening in the 90s when i was in secondary school . isn't it just a records thing? making sure they have their records in order? though i did read a couple of years back that Jews in Denmark had to register with the government. i found that very scary indeed. like Nazi Germany repeating itself?

jessica29054 i know. i saw that thread. i really don't think things in Britain are as bad as many think. yes, a few people do commit racist attacks on foreigners. but the majority of Brexiters are not racist. they are simply wanting not to be controlled by Brussels

IMO racists are going to be racist no matter what. there were race attacks going on long before Brexit. because some people are just vile

Although British my DT's were not born in the UK. There are now at Uni and filling out numerous forms - they know that if they don't want to provide information about themselves they don't have to. It's no different than those whose who have DC's at school. If you don't want to give information- don't! Why are people having such a panic?

I had to set aside an entire day when I lived in France to fill out about a gazillion forms in triplicate. ID cards in Europe state your date and place of birth.
These are all example ones (not real).

I think it will be used to give schools extra funding and ensure that every child performs well.

It's not the information that worries my but the context we are currently living in...

To isitjustmeoriseveryine and anyone else gobbing off that this is an over reaction, can I ask just how many of your children were born abroad?

Brexit has been a get out of jail card for the ill educated idiots in this country to pedal their racist xenophobic and inaccurate clap trap to any muppet that will listen to them...

We have had more comments about not speaking English/told poles go home blah blah in the last few months than in the 6 years my partner and I have been together so I completely see where OP is coming from here

If you're trying to work out how many school places you might need to provide then I can see how the number of children born outside the UK (and therefore not registered here) in a particular area would be useful to work out the maximum possible number needed.

Shhh, don't make sensible points! Shout xenophobia, Nazi or terrifying. It shows your a really good person who cares.

Moreginrequired, I am on of those "gobbing off about overreactions" and both my kids are foreign born. (Colombia to be precise!)

Like I said, any other country where I have lived (about 12) have required much more paperwork than the UK, as well as IDs

I lived as a British citizen in Europe for years, most forms I filled out asked for place of birth, never bothered me, honestly people just panic for everything, does it make them all xenophobic??? DS2 has a European citizenship and not British, we are in the UK and am not panicking about every single thing.

I'm confused about what the purpose of having this data on the school census (as opposed to being collected for other purposes) is?

Luckily both my kids are British, even though I'm not.

Probably so they can measure achievement of various ethnic groups and nationalities against each other?

How would we know, for example, that British-born boys were faring so badly in the absence of this information?

I'm confused about what the purpose of having this data on the school census (as opposed to being collected for other purposes) is?

Logically it is so that the data can be used to predict the needs of those kids all through their education. But the data is used for all sorts of socio-economic studies. Schools are just an easy to access place in which to collect the data.

There have always been such forms. Way back in the 60s and 70s similar questions were included and the data is still used now, to show how UK society has changed and to help predict future changes, guide policy in health, education, etc.

It really does not have anything to do with Brexit, racism, xenophobia, etc. It has everything to do with every government needing to know who it is governing and how best to provide for them.

It is shameful that the media prefers to stir up all sorts of fears over this. Shameful

Both my dc were born outside of the uk, however I've so far not been asked! Am in Scotland though, where the first minister has a very different attitude to foreign people living here than Theresa May so perhaps policy is different here.

eal.britishcouncil.org/teachers/language-and-ethnicity-data-collection

Explains what it is and how it differs across home nations.

It is also a language thing as eal pupils get extra funding up to a certain amount of years. Schools need every penny they can get. It also impacts on the school profile for exams etc.

Yes so actually, the information is being used to affect foreigners and schools they attend positively.

But let's not let the facts get in the way of a great "I'm a victim" story shall we?

Not sure how it can be used to improve things... Why assume just because my children aren't British born that they don't speak English or they need extra help
I have had to fill out questions regarding their ethnicity in the last bit the questions are far more vague than is being mentioned here! They generally just go under 'other european' so not helpful for assessment of any needs.

*past but not last bit