AIBU for teacher to give out list of names of all the kids in the class

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Is it helpful for writing christmas cards/ party invites?
Or against date protection/ safeguarding/ GDPR?

@Hapoydayz

We received names of child, parents and addresses.

If you are in England and it is current, this is illegal unless explicit consent was given and retained.

@Cherryana

No, first names do not break GDPR regulations.

They would not be classed as identifying data on their own.

They can be, depends how many are Tom and how many are unique/very rare. That is why the baby national names list doesn't even list the super-rare names.

Chicken and egg. When mine were at school each class had two parent reps who did a huge amount vis a vis fundraising and organising other stuff the school needed or wanted. Back in 1999 when ds started we got a list of parents' names, landlines, child's name and dob. It was v helpful and I still have it. Some of those dc and parents became dear friends.

In 2002, they couldn't do it any more and we had to pull it together ourselves which was a ball ache bearing in mind how much parents did for the school.

When the dc transferred to the independent sector there was a form where one gave permission for the personal details to be circulated to other parents and a declaration that no parent receiving such details would use them for marketing purposes, etc.

Our school has given lists of first names

I never gave out lists of names although parents could copy first names from coat pegs. Several children in the school were 'looked after' children whose identity and location was not to be made public.

A PP said these are the children your child will grow up with but foster children or families fleeing domestic violence, for example, often only stay in the school for a short time.

I'm sure schools have better things to do than print off names for everyone so they can write Christmas cards!

But these things are important, because without a list there are a few children who will get overlooked. Probably the same children every time. DS goes to a busy school in an area of East London with plenty of challenges, and I'm sure they have lots of other things to do with their time, but they give a list of first names and run a post box system which the children enjoy.

If you are in England and it is current, this is illegal unless explicit consent was given and retained

it's not illegal. Illegal means it's a criminal act, and there are only a few data protection breaches which are criminal.

It may well be unlawful, but also depends on whether people have given their consent, as you pointed out, or there is another good reason under the GDPR and DPA 2018 to provide personal information.

When the dc transferred to the independent sector there was a form where one gave permission for the personal details to be circulated to other parents and a declaration that no parent receiving such details would use them for marketing purposes, etc this for example would be a very easy thing to do in the state sector as well - the data protection regulations do not differentiate in this regard

When my ds was at junior school there was a parents' evening where they told people what class the dc would be in the following year. There were lists on the wall and of course everyone whipped out their phones and took a photo of the list. It only had the kids' names on though, no tel numbers or similar.

I was delighted when DD's school emailed to say no cards for individual students- one card for whole class only which will be displayed as part of the classroom Xmas decorations. Beautiful.

When my kids were in primary a list of all the kids / parents names and phone numbers were circulated.

@TheYearOfSmallThings

I'm sure schools have better things to do than print off names for everyone so they can write Christmas cards!

But these things are important, because without a list there are a few children who will get overlooked. Probably the same children every time. DS goes to a busy school in an area of East London with plenty of challenges, and I'm sure they have lots of other things to do with their time, but they give a list of first names and run a post box system which the children enjoy.

Our school has a pile of printed out lists for parents to pick up as it’s by far the most efficient way of dealing with all the requests for class lists at this time of year!

Unless you send out a blanket decree ‘WE WILL MOT BE ISSUING CLASS LISTS’ you’re going to have to deal with parents asking (and even if you send out a blanket decree, you’ll still get parents who didn’t read the memo asking for them or those who did complaining about it!).

First names are fine. People get too hung up on GDPR, they go well over the top on secrecy because they don’t really understand it. I don’t really think cards are too much of an environmental problem either, they’re small and recyclable. Let the kids have their fun!

Is there not a class list given to parents (we have always had this - some parents would opt out)?

How can GDPR apply in a situation where the children hear each other's names all the time and I'm sure the parents to too? A school wouldn't give out a list of first names unless they were very confident that they could.

I haven’t looked at the GDPR stuff for a while yet - does it apply to children? I forget... besides - it doesn’t identify the child because they are already known in real life.

But of course if you did it there would be some wailing.

@Makingnumber2 two things if I may. Firstly it us not the business of teachers or schools to dictate to whom children send Christmas cards. Secondly it is short sighted because it's a fabulous way to practice handwriting.

I get the pain of distribution but all that's needed is can the cards be handed to the carer in the playground at the end of the day. Our school had a post box and the cards were delivered on Friday afternoons in the play hour. Probably organised by the parent reps through their class contact lists.

Our school gave a printed list of names in foundation. Also if your child uses Google classroom there's a list of the class names there under 'people' if that helps.

Our school did a printed directory every year with the names, parents' names, telephone numbers and home addresses of every child in the whole school. I don't think you'd get away with that now but it was incredibly useful. You could partially opt out in advance (censor your phone number/address) but maybe 1% of families did.

Last school I worked at had a class list of first names + first initial of last name (e.g Anna B., George L.,) on the door for each room for the first half term of the year and tbh I think most parents photographed it.

I don't see the problem in a list of names. I mean, you're going to know them all eventually, right?

Think wouldn't happen at my kids school. Instead they say for this type of thing or party invites so provide cards written out but they will write the recipients name and hand out

@RosesAndHellebores their school, their rules. They've got huge levels of staff absence due to covid and quite frankly I'm happy to support them with what they need to do to get through the term whilst keeping the children in. If parents are so super duper desperate to send an individual card to every child in their child's class then by all means I'm sure they can stand on the gate at the end of a school day and pass the cards out. Giving out names lists, passing out cards etc. is not a job that requires the skills or training of a teacher and it shouldn't be an expectation that they do it. They aren't PAs for parents and students believe it or not....although seems that some parent/carers are under that impression.

You know kids know their classmates names and can tell you if asked.

It is handy for the teachers to do it so you know the child hasn't forgotten someone.

But seriously, some people in this thread need to get a grip. First names are not sensitive information in this scenario.

Its a non problem. The kids can just hand a card to everyone they want to have one - in a blank envelope if necessary.

They wouldn’t give out a list at our school, however we have goodie classrooms and anyone on there shows their full name so it’s a bit redundant.

@Makingnumber2 actually I think it depends how much parents do for the school. State schools are publicly funded by society and not owned by the Head or teachers. The ownership comes from society and the local community.