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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Dd, 17, asked by school if she had Bristish passport

116 replies

Sadusername · 09/10/2016 21:51

DD just let it slip that she was asked to go to the school office to declare whether or not she has a Brisitsh passport. Only young people with foreign names or who "looked" foreign were asked. I am furious. Feels like the beginning of a slippery slope....

OP posts:
kandykane77 · 09/10/2016 21:53

Unless she's going on a school trip abroad I'd say it's none of their bloody business.

PaperdollCartoon · 09/10/2016 21:55

How strange. I'd definitely be asking the school what this was about.

BabyGanoush · 09/10/2016 21:55

What do you mean?

My DS has been asked if he has a British passport by the school 2 years ago.

As they needed to know for the school trip. He is foreign born and has 2 passports, so I said we'd make sure we send the British one.

No panic

ForalltheSaints · 09/10/2016 21:56

If it is not being asked of all children, then you should ask why.

WonkoTheSane42 · 09/10/2016 21:56

Welcome to Brexit Britain.

PotteringAlong · 09/10/2016 21:57

There have been lots of threads about this - all schools are asking all pupils for a DfE census.

Manumission · 09/10/2016 21:59

I'd definitely be asking the school what this was about.

We know what it's 'about'. It's been done to death on MN; it's 'about' the school census.

But schools should really be taking a leaf out of good HR practice and asking ALL pupils for the same information or evidence, irrespective of name, appearance, accent etc. Otherwise they risk appearing discriminatory and causing understnble offence.

RiverTam · 09/10/2016 22:01

I would be highly suspicious of the current government asking this. I understood from another thread that you can refuse to give this information? Though presumably your DD wasn't told that.

Even though I'm British and DD is British I think I would, on principle, refuse to divulge this.

Manumission · 09/10/2016 22:01

It's nothing to do with Brexit, the questions were planned long before tg referendum (as has also been established ad nauseum this week already).

PaulAnkaTheDog · 09/10/2016 22:01

Only young people with foreign names or who "looked" foreign were asked.

Hmm Nope. Even with everything that's going on I'm saying that 'foreign looking kids' being made to present their passport at school is bollocks.

Manumission · 09/10/2016 22:03

Oh I can imagine a provincial school with clueless leadership doing it Paul

PortiaCastis · 09/10/2016 22:04

My dd was also asked. It's for the school census.

Hulababy · 09/10/2016 22:04

All schools/colleges have been asked to provide this information for all pupils - where born, and nationality.
Are you sure that not everyone was asked?
Thats what has been happening in other schools.

Manumission · 09/10/2016 22:05

Saying that, is it possible that they're only asking pupils that they don't already hold this data for? (Rather than on the basis of name etc)

Original poster
Sadusername · 09/10/2016 22:07

She does have a British passport, but this is clearly not the point. They haven't asked all children, just the ones they felt able to identify as possibly being foreign, by name or colour. I am sure they must be breaching their own equality and diversity policies.

OP posts:
originalmavis · 09/10/2016 22:09

Did anyone ask why they wanted to know?

PortiaCastis · 09/10/2016 22:10

My dd isn't foreign and was asked, all the school were asked

Manumission · 09/10/2016 22:11

Do you know that? Or are you assuming?

If you're going to complain or raise it as an issue, you'll need a way to establish that it was a question being asked on the basis of superficial appearances and not (say) that they were asking pupils who hadn't already supplied a UK birth CERT or passport previously.

If you're right, I agree that's shockingly bad implementation and deserves a complaint.

noblegiraffe · 09/10/2016 22:13

All pupils should have been asked to provide nationality and country of birth. They should not have been asked to provide their passports to prove this.

Original poster
Sadusername · 09/10/2016 22:13

I did get the census letter but ignored it.
What should I write?
Can you please explain if my dd was asked to the office to declare what passport she had? Was this due to her Mediterranean skin tone or her east European surname?

OP posts:
Domino20 · 09/10/2016 22:14

Someone can be British without having a British Passport. Plenty of people have never bothered getting a passport if they're not keen on traveling. It's a meaningless question when trying to identify if someone is actually British or not.

Hulababy · 09/10/2016 22:15

Sadusername - maybe they already have the data on some pupils and not others? How do you know for sure they are only asking certain pupils?

As said earlier, for this years school census data schools need to ask ALL pupils for this information. Parents can decline to give the information - it will be then marked on records as either declined or information not yet known - but all will be asked.

If your school is not asking all, then ask them why.

PaulAnkaTheDog · 09/10/2016 22:16

Your original post sounded suspect, your subsequent sounds like downright stirring. I reported anyway and I'm glad I did, this will never end well.

Manumission · 09/10/2016 22:16

Yes domino it smacks of someone clueless playing at immigration law, doesn't it?

milpool · 09/10/2016 22:17

I'd seen someone post a photo of the letter they'd had from their school. It said that only those parents whose children are not British nationals need to respond HmmAngry

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