To ask if you think this is acceptable?

[Databurst]

Ds was at school yesterday and a large scheme provider came in to do an assembly on a paid for activity they offer. All the children are under 16.

According to DS the scheme in question gave the children a 'tell me more form' , this form includes everything from name and address, dob, phone numbers, parents names etc. Full details. I have seen the form.
Ds text me and asked what he should do as for personal reasons we have to be careful.

They were according to DS told that without filling this form in they couldn't have an envelope which had the booking forms in and information booklet on what the scheme offered.

I was wondering if DS was getting mixed up but actually I've seen another Mum post about it on their FB page.

I'm a bit about asking children to hand over their full details ,it is not as if it was just name and email or whatever without a parents consent before they can have info to take home about a scheme.

As the other Mum has pointed out what about kids who are in refuges, foster care, have fled abusive parents etc.

Genuinely want to know if I am being unreasonable on this one?

Nope I would be speaking to the school

I would also speak to the school. I'm surprised they would do this with GDPR

According to the company in question they are allowed to get the details from children under the GDPR in order to contact parents.

This asks for
Name, address, dob, email, phone numbers, school , parents details.

I’d be talking to the school. Unacceptable.

No I think this is wrong - as an adult I’m very ‘funny’ about giving my personal information out - I’d be livid

I think telling students they couldn’t have the info booklet without filling in details bit is not acceptable. It sounds like dc are pressured into filling it in. Def dodgy under gdpr-raise it with their gdpr compliance officer. And just let dc google company for more info after.

No that sounds bizarre. Anyone who comes in with external workshops to sell here, gives forms to the school who then send them home.

Really not acceptable. Speak to the school and ask other parents to do the same.

The school were effectively coercing the children into handing out personal details to a third party.

Was it NCS by any chance? I remember this from last year with my DS.

Right I've had a message back from another parent. I don't know if it makes it different or not!

Apparently they were told not so much you cannot have the info booklet to take home if you don't fill it in but told if you fill in this form you can have the information booklet. Is that different?
The children definitely felt it was implied that they couldn't have one without the form and the staff came over and took the forms from the children and only handed envelopes and booklets to those who had filled the forms in .

Same thing said different ways - no form = no booklet

Haggisfish according to the post I've seen to the other Mum GDPR does allow children 13 and over to give their own consent to handing out information of their details (and in this case parents details )

I've had a look at it myself and it does say under GDPR they can consent they can consent to giving their details out.
I'm still not impressed at how it was done tbh and I'm baffled how this can be allowed as no way would my child understand how that data might be used.

YANBU

Yes they can consent to give their own data, but that’s not details of their parent’s jobs etc. Bad practise on part of company and school to allow if. I say this as a teacher about to incorporate a lesson on protecting your data into our pshe scheme, looking at exactly this sort of thing!

ico.org.uk/for-organisations/education/resources-for-schools/secondary-school-lesson-plans/

Thank you that is very helpful.
I'm trying to make sure I know what the rules are before contacting both people.

I would be interested to know how consent and the age applies when children have significantly difficulties with understanding and diagnosed sen...

I suspect they would not be deemed gillick competent which means they could not give their consent?

It sounds like all they really want are your details. I agree, children will not know the data will be used. Is it a reputable scheme or a gimmick?

NCS ?

Totally unacceptable. Reminds me of the Bounty scheme on the maternity ward where they said I couldn’t have a child benefit form unless I provided my personal details (for them to sell and otherwise profit from). The school should not be enabling a private company to collect childrens’ details for financial gain. Forms should have been handed out to everyone otherwise they are excluding children from the opportunity to do the paid activity.

If it is NCS this is a link to their gdpr/privacy policy
www.ncsyes.co.uk/ncs-trust-gdpr-statement-for-schools-and-colleges

Is it that National Citizen Service?
They got my email address and swamped it with emails, then emails criticising me for not giving my daughter the opportunity to volunteer and how it would ruin her prospects by not doing it.
Admittedly before GDPR but they wouldn't take my email off their mailing till I got really shirty with them