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?

OP, seriously; drop the spade and stop packing. Come back to the thread and calm down.

The nosey questions start in the first week of parenthood when the HV turns up on the doorstep armed with wads of forms. It's totally normal to be asked this stuff (background, income, housing tenure, relationship status) by education settings and HCP from that point onward. Not to mention the real census.

Our school made it very, very clear that it was optional, and it was on a form separate to the usual annual repetitive information gathering.

I have refused.

I've had to present birth certificates to school in the past. Pre 2000

Yes meta and I seem to remember it had to be the long form BC even back in the late 90s and very early millennium.

I am 56 and this kind of information has been required by officialdom ALL MY LIFE.

Agreed it is fucking terrifying and people have to look to history.

Some still believe all the drama and love to be outraged.

^
This. The hysteria on MN about the UK seemingly turning into a replica of Nazi Germany is just crazy.

I've had to present birth certificates to school in the past. Pre 2000

I'm curious, when you've done it previously have any other parents come up to you and said "Oh my god, what do you think they want this for? Do you think the government are planning anything, you know, for the foreigners??" Were there any thread on MN asking if anyone thought it was ...suspicious...?

It feels to me like we're in a much worse place today than we were back then :(

We had this but it's nothing to do with Brexit, was organised long before as part of a census I think

The drama llamas are beginning to piss me off mightily.

Another in Scotland and the schools have done it for years...last year they started asking for passport/birth certificates for funding at 3 yo too (before Brexit vote).

I hate the big brother aspect of all the data collection that goes on but I would hesitate and get more details before refusing to give information about ethnicity and heritage.
At PS we got asked about detailed ethnic origin of DCs. Mine were born before 'at risk' children were given a TB vaccine at birth (when everyone still got it at as teen) - they would never have been offered it. Even though one set of grandparents were born in a high risk area so if born now they would be (as babies).
Their grandparents had lived in France for 40+yrs - DP was born there - and they never went back or had visitors -so my DCs risks were the same as everyone else really but as they were still considered eligible I had them done. (I don't think they should have stopped mass immunisation).

Quite so Spring; " "Nationality of any Person born in a Foreign Country" was a new question added to the UK National Census forms in...... 1911.

Nothing sinister has yet been done with that information in the past 105.5 years, so let's not panic. The UK has a great record of tolerance and civil liberties.

The nosey questions start in the first week of parenthood when the HV turns up on the doorstep armed with wads of forms.

I think it starts before then. I had questions about mine and dhs nationality, family history, culture etc on my booking in forms.

That was 13 years ago.

Agreed it is fucking terrifying and people have to look to history

Do you mean that the degree of overreaction is terrifying, and that people should look to their history of regularly being asked for this information on any number of forms throughout their life?

I'm going to admit to being confused
I thought this was data that would be collected anyway pre referendum and regardless of the result

otherwise what happens with things like safeguarding issues e.g. one parent trying to take child out of country? I thought schools had to get involved in that kind of thing or at least make an effort to track paperwork.

similarly, at work you have to give HR paperwork to prove you can work in the UK when you are interviewed - wouldn't there be similar concerns that some children in school would be the children of illegals and the government would blame the school for not checking? We'd get a massive fine if we employed anyone who technically didn't have the right paperwork to work here.

Our school asked for it, I can't remember if they mentioned it was optional.

We are Germans, the school knows it, they asked for it - voluntarily - when DD started. It is not something I think I need to hide. We provide these information a lot of times for various reasons.

Even if it would have been a decision after Brexit, at the moment we are here legitimately and have no reason to hide who we are. In 2 years it may be different...

Good point phillipp

Oh, btw, DD is also British as she was born past-2006 when all children born to "old-EU state" parents who have been in the UK for a "resonable amount of time" and are "settled" automatically got the British citizenship.

Neither DH nor I planned to take the citizenship due to our EU passports. But if May has her way it could mean that if DH and I do not apply for residency or citizenship and would have to rely on Visa they could kick us out if we don't fulfill the requirements anymore and also by default a minor British citizen. I wonder how many of these children are living in the UK.

Why do schools need to ask again? Or do I live in the only area that asks for confirmation that a child is entitled to state education via child benefit letter dated within last year?

Or do I live in the only area that asks for confirmation that a child is entitled to state education via child benefit letter dated within last year?

I've never had one of those. How old is your child? Mine are primary age.

I wish the drama llamas would even bloody read the other posts and learn something.

Given that the government is offering money to the councils who have most immigrants there does seem to be a need to collect data.

Isn't this just like any other form that asks for race/nationality?

usergobbledigook who are you referring to?

Being born in Britain itself does not entitle a person to UK nationality, as British nationality is not juris soli, so it's a bit of a silly question. Similarly, a person can be born 'foreign' and be a UK national by birth.