When did no surnames become a thing?

[jewelcase]

There are bigger problems in the world, sure. But it was my younger DD’s school play the other night. The Y8s do a play every year, and this was hers.

In the programme, they listed the cast. But they only put first names. The school newsletter is the same. No surnames.

When did this start, and why is it a thing? I guess for some kind of safeguarding reason, but what’s the risk? It just seems to infantilise the kids, and you can’t tell one kid from another with the same name.

Is my kids’ school the only one? I suspect not.

AIBU to want surnames back?

It is for privacy, and for safeguarding. Be glad you don't really understand the necessity.

PS back in the 1980s full names were given in our school production programmes, so between then and nowadays.

Equally, I'd ask why do you need to know the child's last name?

Food for thought.

Because that is their name. They have achieved something and so their name should be attached to that achievement. Not just their first name.

If we’re in a world now where it’s considered unsafe to write down a child’s full name, then let’s discuss that. Are we? Are children publicly surname-less until they’re 18?
My two are in a dancing club. Their show programmes have full names. Is that dangerous?

Our school still put full names in their show programmes, on social media posts about achievements and in the annual governors report. I hadn’t considered that others might not tbh.

I’ve worked with around 20 schools over the last ten years and I can’t think of one that would ever include a child’s surname in any public document like a programme for a play or concert. As a previous poster said, it’s for safeguarding reasons.

It's because of data protection rules

I imagine it started at the time of the Internet getting big.

In the old days names were just printed in the local paper and parents didn't do inane shit like photographing lists and captioning them "so proud 🥲"

And with respect, nobody gives a fuck that your child is Joseph in the school play and your child will.hopefulpy achieve more than that in life, at a point where they can share their own achievements if they wish to.

But what actually are the safeguarding risks?

I’m not doubting that they exist, but I just don’t know what they are!

I cannot imagine being so annoyed by this when it is clearly a safeguarding thing. I would imagine next to nobody reads the full list of names anyway, and if you don't know the kid what does it matter what their name is down as.

It really isn't as issue. I could go into the many reasons why it's a good thing but I don't think there's much point.

My children’s schools use their full names

Our local school was doing that 8-10 years ago when my kids were there. There may be children that absolutely can’t be publicly named for child protection reasons and it’s not fair or practical to only omit their full names.

i don’t see why it’s an issue for you - most people involved know who the kids are for the relevant credit.

Don’t ask why but I was watching an old Crimewatch programme from the mid-80s

The witnesses in the reconstructions were fully identified eg “Jane Smith from Heathfield Road saw the robbery unfold”

I was astounded at how that was allowed

I know of foster children who need their location to be concealed from an abusive parent.

Me too. I can’t remember this not being a thing.

In some schools there will be pupils that are not allowed to be names publicly because it makes them or their families identifiable. Children who are not allowed contact with some individuals due to abuse. Or there has been DV. Putting surnames makes them easier to find.

Having a blanket policy like this means less risk all round for all and protects everyone.

This really isn't hard to understand.

I work in a prison. One of the men once told me his ‘mrs had googled me’, and so he knew my husband worked at a particular estate agent (he doesn’t. The person just shared my surname). I believe she’d googled various officers’ surnames, and the name the closest towns. Unlikely as it may be, I’d rather he couldn’t tell me that my son is called Fred, and attends St Mary’s Primary School (not real names, obviously).

Are you one of those parents that photographs school plays and puts them on social media because you don't understand Safeguarding?

As above - if you're hunting the internet for a certain name and it shows up being on the blurb about a school production you've got the exact location of where a child is going to be 5 days a week ...

The likes of children who,
Are in foster care
Have been adopted
Who have had to flee abuse
Who are part of a witness protection programme
Who's parents may have committed heinous crimes.

There are so many reasons why this might happen. By erasing ALL children's surnames in public documents you are protecting the few who would be singled out otherwise. Its pretty narrow minded that this annoys you, and you should count yourself lucky that you couldn't even think of atleast one example where this may be the case for some children.

I'm sorry OP but do you live in a fantasy bubble where nothing bad can happen to children and no-one needs or has a right to privacy?

I’m not sure I’ve ever seen full names on anything, maybe for my secondary school ones’ newsletter. But there are like 1600 students in the school, so being like Joey has been awarded a place on the county rugby league under 15s training camp would be meaningless. Which of the 200 Joeys? Especially when there is a photo of him.

But definitely everything else where it’s mostly just for parents, it’s first names unless there are too many with the same name. One year, my DD’s primary school class of 20 had 5 (!!) Molly’s 😂 and even more confusing, two of the Molly’s had a surname beginning with the same letter. So they had to be Molly Sh and Molly St on everything. Nightmare.

I’m not on social media, and the kids aren’t either. Seeing kids achievement splashed all over FB with trite comments makes me want to vom.

I obviously respect safeguarding issues, and whilst I’ve written a mumsnet post querying this particular thing it’s more a query rather than a hill I’m going to die on. I don’t care that much!

Interesting though that several posters are saying that their schools don’t share the safeguarding concerns and do indeed print full names.

I guess more broadly my slight annoyance is that whilst safeguarding issues deserve respect I sometimes feel that we are over cautious to the detriment of our kids who remain infantilised, and perhaps this is one tiny and trivial example.

Exactly. My next door neighbours dc go to a secondary school in an area where their dad is a policeman. I’ve had a school dad pull a knife on me because I told his son off for some minor reason. The last thing I want is this bloke going to a parents evening or a play at my child’s school and seeing my/my child’s surname on something and pulling a knife on my child instead.

I know adults who don't use their full names in many public contexts because it might put them in danger. Kids are far more likely to be at risk.

I tried to drop my surname by deed poll.... Not allowed apparently. I will forever have to have a second name that denotes a contractal arrangement between 2 men.