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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

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Original poster

Online newsletter lists all the reception children's full names

45 replies

paisleyleaf · 11/09/2009 23:05

As in 'we would like to welcome so and so, so and so..... etc'
I'm feeling uncomfortable about it. Stranger danger I guess. Although the routine for picking up the children at hometime is safe enough.
But I wouldn't put my DD's full name and school she attends on MN or anywhere else online myself.
We were never asked to sign a consent thing, and it wasn't mentioned.
Am I silly to be niggled by it?

OP posts:

FabBakerGirlIsBack · 12/09/2009 15:57

It does sound harsh when it isn't the parents who are demanding no video but schools stating you can't film your child in their Nativity.

daisy5678 · 12/09/2009 16:05

My cousin's school gives out names, addresses and phone numbers of all the kids in the class to every parent (primary).

snapple · 12/09/2009 18:31

Givememoresleep - sorry but your cousin's school is acting in a ridiculous manner - have they not considered identity fraud and theft - that is just stupid!

limonchik · 12/09/2009 19:21

How is that related to identity theft?

Alambil · 12/09/2009 20:20

it's happened to me bosch - my psycho ex rang every primary school in my area (about 100) to see if DS was in attendance....

it happens

I wouldn't like his name in full on the internet - our school has a first name only policy and no named photographs

Original poster

paisleyleaf · 12/09/2009 20:29

I just feel it's easy for the wrong sort of person to hang round at hometime and say they're picking up Megan Philips has anyone seen her, or befriending children making out they know their parents - I don't know.....(that's not DD's real name - as it'd feel wrong to put her real name).

Funnily enough, my DD's got a birthday coming up and the teacher told me she could give me a list of first names only.
(Doesn't matter now - I can look at the online newsletter)!

OP posts:

chegirl · 12/09/2009 20:32

Is the website open to the general public? Our school's website is not.

If it is then I would be seriously pissed off.

I am not paranoid and do not think peados are waiting on every corner.

But my DS is adopted. His birth mother is a relation. She knows that we live in a certain area. She may be a skanky bitch but she sure knows how to use the internet.

She could and would find DS and turn up at the school to shout 'I am your real mummy that bitch wants to kill you' if she had the chance.

He [my DS] is not the only kid in this position.

KIMItheThreadSlayer · 12/09/2009 20:33

Is it on the school website or in the news letter that as far as I know is only sent to parents?

I think you are over reacting a bit

Original poster

paisleyleaf · 12/09/2009 20:38

It's on the printed newsletter that comes home once a week to parents. And the newsletter is also on the school website - which is open to anyone and everyone.

OP posts:

FimbleHobbs · 12/09/2009 20:53

I don't think you are being at all unreasonable.

I would be livid if my child's full name and school were listed online.

In addition to the problems re psycho exes, adoptive situations, there is also the risk of kidnap for children of police/security officers/staff. We have a relatively unusual surname, and DH's job brings him in contact with various offenders - if they knew where our DC went to school this could be a major security issue.

Does the school have a 'safe internet' type of policy? I bet all the children are told not to give out their real names, or their school, online, yet the school has gone and done it for them!!

lockets · 12/09/2009 21:01

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn

snapple · 12/09/2009 21:23

The reason I said it is stupid because in the case where names, addresses and phone numbers were given out is that children have clean records which makes it easy to obtain credit in their names, and they obviously don?t check their credit reports?thieves can get away with committing fraud in children?s names for longer periods of time.

Also - coupled with google search maps, the postcode etc it is easy to build a profile on a family. Pretty stupid in terms of house break ins. I recall seeing some CNN report - not in the UK about the increase in child id theft - with gangs breaking into schools to get clean details of children.

I don't think children's charities would be too pleased either. Especially if there were some vulnerable children whose details were listed.

Just plain stupid and I would have thought you could not pass data to third parties.

Not even thinking about marketing companies getting the details...

blithedance · 12/09/2009 21:50

As FimbleHobbs said. For a minority of children there ARE people out there who would be a real risk (not just a theoretical paedo stranger, but actual known people or relatives). It's just another piece in the internet jigsaw that could lead to unwanted characters hanging around school gates.

I was very worried our kids school would do that reception-photos in the paper thing but fortunately they don't.

It's a really difficult situation but you do need to distinguish between sharing info amongst school families and friends which is normally fine, and putting it up on the internet/publishing in newspapers where anyone could scrutinise it.

FabBakerGirlIsBack · 13/09/2009 09:33

People without safety issues with their children are bound to think YABU whereas those of it living with potential threats are NBU.

curiositykilled · 13/09/2009 10:54

YANBU - probably won't do your dc any harm but when I was on a course with Women's Aid there was a woman there who's XP had stalked her and her children for 7 years. He had threatened that if he ever found out where she was he would kidnap the children and her and kill them all because if he couldn't have her and the kids he wouldn't let anyone else have her. This chilled me to the bone. I think it was irresponsible of the school.

theworldsgoneDMmad · 13/09/2009 12:12

I've been stalked before (still am, to an extent) and if the person who is doing it found out which school my DS was at, you could bet he'd be there waiting outside the school gate for me to collect DS.

YANBU!

katiestar · 13/09/2009 18:45

Our school sends out a contact list for all the families in eache class.But you have to opt into it.

SomeGuy · 13/09/2009 21:28

we have a list of the names, addresses and phone numbers of all children + parents in my son's year at school

SomeGuy · 13/09/2009 21:28

sent to us by the school, I should add.

bigstripeytiger · 13/09/2009 21:33

YANBU.

I would be furious if my childrens school did this. Its completely inappropriate and first names would be fine.

There is no benefit to using surnames, and all it does is potentially expose some children to risk.

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