Nursery requesting to see my DC passport

[cierzo]

The other day went I collected my DC from nursery I was asked to bring my DC's passport. We just started the 15hrs free allowance, but I do not think this is something to do with that.

Why do they require to see this? Anyone knows if this is related to the new government thing which I saw in the papers and Schools week

www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/non-white-schoolchildren-prove-not-asylum-seekers-schools-nationality-documents-london-a7324851.html

schoolsweek.co.uk/pupils-who-were-not-white-british-told-to-send-in-birthplace-data/

Can someone advise?

[Longlost10]

Are your local schools offering a substandard education? Well LOOK, X% of your school are "other" than 100% single nationality white British! Blame them not the policies making teaching/education so shit!

I agree with students becoming political footballs. I do remember one ofsted inspector suddenly demanding all the stats we had on acheivement and value added for vietnamese students, seemingly at random. However, I disagree that non white- british or more of a football than anyone else. White working class boys are the category that seem to get blamed for much trouble in schools. It drives me mad. Certainly there are little communities of EDL supporters around here, behaving as ignorant racist thugs in and out of school, and they are white, but it certainly isn't all whites, and I would also dispute that they are "working class" and they are not all boys!

[Longlost10]

I hate all the categorising, and showing you are "differentiating and teaching inclusively"for black students, gay students, Irish students, transgender students, etc. Some information is useful. It is worth knowing that a child is looked after, or is an asylum seeker/refugee as such children may be traumatised. We are also required to log which children belong to service families, get free school meals, etc. We have other information too, mostly useless, but we have to do statistics on it.

[WatchS20]

Maybe all part of Big Data.

[embo1]

We've just started at nursery because my son finally qualifies for the free hours (Early April birthday). They didn't ask for any ID at all.

[cese17]

see also earlier discussion: www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2681411-I-cant-tell-if-this-is-sinister? This story has now been reported on the bbc, the guardian, the independent, the huffington post and even the sun, so I hope more parents will use their legal right to refuse this useless information. To answer a few other posts here: having non-Britisch nationality does not equal speaking another language at home. And speaking another language for that matter does not mean you can't speak English too! Nationality really is a non-category when it comes to educational attainment. Anyway, many immigrants become British and are no longer visible in these stats, but that does not change their background. Logging proficiency in English is useful, and should be linked to funds, but that's it.

[nooka]

i see it's not just nurseries and schools collecting this information but also childminders, I find that a bit disturbing. Seems like very personal information to be sharing.

Also I'd be concerned about the ability of the early years providers to collect and protect the information. I read on the other thread that one nursery was recording all the passport numbers. Why? They have no reason to keep that information and probably provide no assurances that they will secure it appropriately (in fact I wonder if they even tell parents that they are recording it). I wonder if they have been given any guidance from the DoE about asking for the information and then managing it afterward.

[UncontrolledImmigrant]

Ha! That was my thread- I was told by most of the other posters that it was all in my head

[Eyedrophell]

We (Nursery) are required to keep proof that we have seen ID for the free hours. We are registered with the ICO and follow all required data protection. We store far more sensitive data than that to be honest.

[WatchS20]

Completely agree with Cese.

[WatchS20]

UncontrolledImmigrant the first few posts you received on that thread were totally off the mark.

And the term 'education' tourism, give me a break.

[Longlost10]

And the term 'education' tourism, give me a break. what is your issue with this term? It sounds very apt to me. I have known hundreds and hundreds of educational tourists.

[WatchS20]

Long I have explained exactly what my issue is in post, what's not clear?
Could you please clarify, what you mean though?. Are you a teacher? What do you mean by 'education tourist"? I have given my interpretation of the myth' education tourism' what is your definition?

[WatchS20]

*in my post

[Longlost10]

I haven't found your post.

By educational tourist, I mean children being brought to the uk for the free education.

[WatchS20]

Apologies long I'm mixing up threads.

I have explained my interpretation of the myth 'education tourism here
www.mumsnet.com/Talk/_chat/2681411-I-cant-tell-if-this-is-sinister?pg=3

copy/pasting it here agin, apologies.
"The phrase 'education tourism' makes it sound like something to do almost on a whim, pack a bag and there you go."
Ha, but in the world of sound bites, 'Education Tourism' kills two flies with one stone, doesn't it? It suggests there are hordes of undeserving children exploiting our education system, which is convenient scapegoating. It also suggests that education in England is superior and wonderful, which of course it isn't. Not surprised NM used such an empty and uneducated term.

[WatchS20]

Ok, Long what sort of countries were these children from for example? I just can't picture it. There is free education in most EU countries and in many non-EU countries.

[Longlost10]

common scenario.... family emigrates to uk, gets residency one way or another, placed in council housing, awarded benefits, parents then return to home country, leaving unsupervised child alone in council house, living on benefits.

I know of two cases where children left like this have locked themselves out, and moved in to sleep on someones floor, leaving the home empty for months.

Or "own children" arriving alone, applying for asylum, maybe turned down, but allowed to remain until the age of 18, which can backfire, as I have known several students deported mid A levels.

Or families arriving with holiday visas, then enrolling children at school while they are here, maybe get away with it for a few years, maybe forever. ( The last family that I am aware of that did this was deported within a month of enrolling)

Last year at sixth form enrollment, spoke to a distraught father of a 19 year old son, who couldn't believe his son was being turned away because he was too old. He said he had come to uk specifically to get his son an education.

I've lost count of the number of times the same woman has turned up at consecutive parent teacher meetings being the "mother" of 6 or more children, all in the same school year, if you question them, they admit they are "aunties" , adults overseeing many many different children, who have been left in their care unofficially by overseas parents.

These are the ones that stand out. There are the others who still remain together as a family who may quietly admit they have come to the uk for the free education, or who you may suspect have, but don't say so.

Like I said, I have known hundreds. literally hundreds.

I've never reported any, as it isn't my job to act as border control. Apart from anything else, such children have done nothing wrong themselves, it is their parents who have, but it is the children who are punished if caught. i had one tutee recently who was caught and deported at 18, but her parents wouldn't take her back, as she hadn't got the qualifications they hoped for,

[Longlost10]

I'm not naming countries, as it will just reinforce stereotypes.

[Longlost10]

It certainly is happening commonly though. Some of these children are very badly behaved, unsupervised, abandoned, what do you expect? Many are quiet and well behaved though. Like I said, I don't judge them, or interfere with their immigration status, I just teach them.

[Troika]

Haven't read the full thread but nursery need to see it for proof of age. They need a copy to send to the council with the funding forms. Nothing more sinister than that.

[Troika]

Nooka do you think all early years providers are incompetents? Why should they be any less able to store and protect sensitive information than any other organisation? Early years workers are trained in data protection!

[Haircups]

You're paranoid OP.

(you did say "call me paranoid")

[WatchS20]

Thank you Lost that sounds really bad for all involved.

However I still think the mythical term 'Education Tourism' is political, incorrect and misleading. 'Tourism' is travel for pleasure, what the families you describe are doing is certainly not 'for pleasure', it's desperation. Mind you I don't agree with abusing the system, it's not on and there do need to be checks. I don't believe asking all school children to specify their place of birth, nationality, or whether they have dual nationality will in any way prevent the terrible scenarios you describe above.

Apologies for being pedantic here but the metaphors we use do matter, they paint a story and in this case an incorrect and education tourism is a flippant way of describing something that may occur (you say it does and I believe it does but not sure to what extent) and that does need addressing. It's also a child protection issue. I believe the UK would benefit from introducing ID cards for everyone and making it compulsory to carry around your ID with you. There are practical ways to tackle people abusing our system using silly terms such as 'Education tourism' is not it. It's shallow and political. But oh so effective to divert attention from our politician's inability to deal with the challenges we face.

[Lindy2]

I'm a childminder and have had children use their 15 hours of early education with me. I need to provide details of age, address etc but am not required to see hard proof of this from the parents.

[WatchS20]

politicians'