Kids to be asked: Do you worry about how much mum drinks?
Anger at SNP’s intrusive survey for pupils age 8-12
PRIMARY school children are to be quizzed on their parents’ drinking and smoking habits.
The exercise is part of a datagathering exercise by the Scottish Government.
Pupils aged eight to 12 also face questions on whether there are arguments at home and whether they feel their parents offer them enough support.
The official survey also asks children how often they eat vegetables and use toothpaste, how many fizzy drinks they consume and whether they sit down to eat family meals together at a table.
The Children’s Wellbeing Survey is designed to collect information on how pupils feel about their lives so the authorities can ensure appropriate services are made available to youngsters.
But critics last night warned it was inappropriate and intrusive.
Social researchers have already issued the 60-question survey – funded by the Scottish Government – to thousands of primary pupils in five local authority areas.
Experts are evaluating the responses and the results are expected in August. If educationalists decide it has generated useful information, the survey could be rolled out across the country. Campaigners told The Scottish Mail on Sunday that parents should complain if their child’s school tries to implement the survey.
Previously, the Scottish Government has been accused of undermining family life through its plans to impose a state guardian – or Named Person – for every child. This was delayed last year when courts ruled it was incompatible with human rights laws.
Yesterday Simon Calvert of campaign group No to Named Persons said: ‘People hate the Named Person scheme because they don’t like the Government invading their privacy and policing their families. This “wellbeing” survey fits right in with that. It assumes schools have a right to know all your family secrets. Who do they think they are? Schools are for teaching children, not prying into their private family lives, looking for skeletons in their closets.’
The Children’s Wellbeing Survey was piloted in primary schools in Clackmannanshire, South Lanarkshire and West Lothian at the end of last year. It was then introduced in Falkirk and North Lanarkshire council areas, where the scheme concluded earlier this month.
It is part of a programme called Realigning Children’s Services, managed for the Scottish Government by social research group ScotCen. It said: ‘No findings have yet been published. Policies and local decisions based on high-quality data are likely to lead to better outcomes than ones based on limited evidence.’
Pupils are asked to complete the survey independently during school time, unless a parent or guardian signs an opt-out form. But some parents have complained that an information leaflet they received did not make it clear they could opt out of the form-filling.
The survey is done on a laptop and pupils are told they can refuse to answer any questions. It reassures them that there is no right
‘Who do they think they are?’
answer and that researchers won’t ‘tell anyone what they say’.
As well as probing adults’ drinking habits, it asks about arguments and fights at home. Another question asks: ‘Compared with your friends, do you think your family is richer, poorer or the same?’
Children are also encouraged to reveal how they feel about the way they look. Nutrition features heavily, probing pupils on their eating habits, asking how often they consume fruit and vegetables and how often they drink Irn-Bru. Joanna Murphy of the National Parent Forum of Scotland said: ‘These surveys should be age appropriate, not cause offence and recognise the concerns of the parent.’
Official watchdog the Children and Young People’s Commissioner also raised concerns. A spokesman said: ‘Research shows that children are unlikely to self-identify as living in poverty when asked questions around the comparative wealth of their peers. It could be something that the child hasn’t thought and it could trigger upset.’
Doubts have been voiced online on the National Parent Forum of Scotland. Sharon Ure wrote: ‘Why ask a child if their friend has nicer things than them or if they think they are richer or poorer?’
A Scottish Government spokesman said the aim was to gather information for ‘service improvement planning’, adding: ‘Survey responses used are anonymous.’
THE SNP’s insistence on intruding into family life is deeply disturbing.
The planned imposition of state guardians on every Scottish youngster demonstrated a complete lack of respect for the right to a private home life.
And, as if that wasn’t troubling enough, pupils are now being asked to report on their parents’ behaviour behind the closed doors of their homes.
A survey of primary school age children will see them quizzed on their mothers’ and fathers’ smoking and drinking habits. They will also be asked to report on arguments at home and to answer questions about whether or not they feel supported by their parents.
Of course, we believe that vulnerable children and families in crisis should be in receipt of whatever support they need. But many thousands of blameless parents across the country will feel this latest inquisition is deeply inappropriate.