Would you snitch?

[Smelliottsmum]

I am pretty sure that a mum from my son’s school has lied about her address to get her child a place at a berry in demand secondary school. As the crow flies we are quite a lot nearer to said school than she is. My child did not get a place.
I’m tempted to report them. Just wondered if anyone else has done so?

But the child if the liar will be published, when surely the child of such venal parents needs all the help they can get?

Well seeing you don't get away with lying would he a good way of steering the child ok the right direction.

Again, if someone stole my car id not let them keep it just because it meant the child could now be driven somewhere nice.

@MumTryingHerBest I can't be sure she doesn't know. But unless she knows the intimate details of the family eg that the child isn't a looked after child or has additional needs etc, then she can't be sure. That's all I'm saying. So if she does "snitch" on them for making a fraudulent claim, she could end up with egg on her face because it might not be fraudulent. It was just a thought.

So if she does "snitch" on them for making a fraudulent claim, she could end up with egg on her face because it might not be fraudulent.

She won’t end up with egg on her face at all. Do you think the council publishes the names of people who make queries about how the allocation criteria were applied?

Of course she knows it might not be fraudulent

Just like she knows that her chikd may not get a place off the back of it.

She may not even get an update at all so it's hardly gratifying event.

But suspected fraud should be reported. How else will things be put right

might

tiggy - thanks, that is good to hear! Given we missed the cut-off by 64m, we must be near the top of our list pre second round. I'd be utterly furious if a fraudulent application meant DD missed her place as a result, although I guess I would never know it was due to that. I am very glad they do it the fair and decent way.

In reply to the OP - I'm glad you're going to query it. And not just because of my situation, but because it's the right thing to do and I would have always said to! People who cheat annoy the crap out of me.

"the child of the liar will be punished (by losing their place)"

• If this is to happen, much better it should happen now, before said child has a uniform, been to a moving up day etc - or worse, started at the school and is then removed.

I'd let the LA know, OP.

But the child if the liar will be published, when surely the child of such venal parents needs all the help they can get?

So, it’s so better to punish the child of the honest parents? I don’t actually think that the child with the lying parents necessarily needs any help at all. They have a parent who is willing to commit fraud to get them the best education possible and there is possibly a financial aspect too if they’ve had to effectively “move house” to do it.

BitOutOfPractice she could end up with egg on her face

She would have egg on her face if she did nothing and it turned out that the place was allocated due to fraud or an administration error.

Crikey, I only suggested that the op doesn't know for sure that this is a dodgy claim. She said herself she's not 100% certain.

And I used the word "snitch" because that's the word she used.

Sorry to mention something, as an aside, that spoils all the frothing

As the crow flies we are quite a lot nearer to said school than she is.
In our LEA it is shortest safe walking route- are you sure that isn't the same for yours?

BitOutOfPractice - Crikey, I only suggested that the op doesn't know for sure that this is a dodgy claim

OP doesn't need to know for sure in order to report it.

My LA states:

If you suspect that someone is committing school admission application fraud, please let us know.

Oh in that case she should just knock herself out and have that satisfaction then

Bit, surely anyone decent would simply pass on the information, and then move on?

It's a bit like reporting a suspected crime to the police - you don't have to KNOW that a crime was being committed and there were no other circumstances in play, as it is everyone's duty to report the crime and let the appropriate authorities investigate.

Nose firmly out!

The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing

Maybe she should report, maybe not. Maybe she'll be vindicated. But all I was trying to say is, before you go in with the guns of moral righteousness blazing, be aware that you might not be in full possession of the facts

"the triumph of evil"

Of course she's aware of that bit

She doesn't need to know. It's not her business to know. It's not her job to know.

It is literally the job of the people employed at the council to investigate. Not the public to gather all the information and do their job for them.

Do you clean the house for the cleaner?

Do you find out who stole your car then fell the police?

No

You report suspicions and let others do their jobs.

"Do you clean the house for the cleaner?"

Um... Yeah...

But I have ishoos.

As well as what others have said about the child possibly being in a higher category, it is also possible that the LA has made a mistake.

I'm a school governor and each year we upload the postcode data for all of our offers and waiting list applicants into Google maps (very easy to do) so we can get a visual impression. There are always outliers that have been mis-allocated. We report them to the LA, but they don't always get corrected (e.g. if too much time has passed since the offer was made they can't withdraw it).