Authors visiting schools must register in a database.

The_Minister

http://sf.carnalnation.com/content/12357/4/jk-rowling-must-register-potential-pedophile

England is going insane.

If an author is visiting a school, they must pay themselves to be vetted first to make sure they aren't paedophiles.

This is what happens when the Law and Order crowd get their way - nonsensical, knee-jerk, ott reactions, with little improvement in the public good.

galwayrush

Surely, a quick look through the books they wrote should be enough to decide if they're suitable or now.:eek:

My name is URL

Its the same for anyone that works with kids in Britain. Why should certain groups or people be excluded?

Biggins

Thats a mad over-reaction. I know a few writers here in Ireland. They go in, speak to a class for 40 minutes and then out of there.
They wouldn't be up for that. Too much hassle. Next thing you know, insurance companies would try and up their public liability rates!

galwayrush

Over here, if there's a hint of say for example a poet with kiddie fiddling tendencies they might make their material essential reading for the LC exams.:rolleyes:

Biggins

galwayrush wrote: »

Over here, if there's a hint of say for example a poet with kiddie fiddling tendencies they might make their material essential reading for the LC exams.:rolleyes:

Nay! We would never do that. We wouldn't be that daft! :rolleyes:

galwayrush

Biggins wrote: »

Nay! We would never do that. We wouldn't be that daft! :rolleyes:

Thankfully not, imagine one of our Ministers giving someone like that a grant to live their lifestyle............... shocking thought, i'm letting my imagination run riot atm.:eek:

An Fear Aniar

This is a good thing, who knows who could be the next Gary Glitter?

.

Biggins

Why writers anyway? Its not as if the Marquis De Sade is popping in to the colleges every day!
I'd be more tempted to have any visiting MP register! See how they like it!

Napoli

I think it's a great idea. Only a paedophile would have a problem with this. Better safe than sorry.

If you've done done nothing wrong then you've nothing to worry about.

netwhizkid

Napoli wrote: »

I think it's a great idea. Only a paedophile would have a problem with this. Better safe than sorry.

If you've done done nothing wrong then you've nothing to worry about.

Spot on, before I'd leave Cathal Ó Searcaigh sing poetry around children or go within a mile of them.

Rented Mule

The fact that they made it through a British school and are able to read and write should make them suspect.

mink_man

who cares?

Dartz

Napoli wrote: »

I think it's a great idea. Only a paedophile would have a problem with this. Better safe than sorry.

If you've done done nothing wrong then you've nothing to worry about.

What about RFID tracking in your arm, so we can tell if you were in the vacinity of a crime scene? A mandatory national DNA/fingerprint database? Internet connection monitoring? Telescreens in our homes?

When people scream "Think of the Children", all they're thinking about is being a bunch of self serving, ego-inflating busybody morons who are so desperate for any kind of recognition they interfere in the lives of ordinary decent people, just to make themselves feel better.

These are the same people as who infect these boards, and insist on reporting any and all misdemeanours to the coppers... just to make themselves feel better. These are probably the same people who tattle-taled in school constantly, because nobody would be friends with them.

Good God I feel sorry for their kids.

I mean, schools in the UK ban parents recording children's plays and the like, because of some 'Think of the Children' loonies. That's ****ing retarded.

Das Kitty

Cathal O Searcaigh came to our school a few times. I remember him reading us a poem about him suspecting his lover of having sex with kitchen white goods. He also told us to write uncensored poems so we wrote some super-sweary haikus.

Napoli

Dartz wrote: »

What about RFID tracking in your arm, so we can tell if you were in the vacinity of a crime scene? A mandatory national DNA/fingerprint database? Internet connection monitoring? Telescreens in our homes?

Are you high? Who mentioned any of those things?

We are talking about doing a background check on adults who will be dealing with schoolchildren, just to make sure they don't have a record for past sexual abuse. It's not harming anybody.

For years, children were abused in this country at the hands of teachers and priests. It was an institutionalised practice. Therefore any measures put in place to prevent this ever happening again should be welcomed imo.

connundrum

Not a bad idea altogether.

Cough

Morlar

Dartz wrote: »

What about RFID tracking in your arm, so we can tell if you were in the vacinity of a crime scene? A mandatory national DNA/fingerprint database? Internet connection monitoring? Telescreens in our homes?

For paedophiles ? Ummm, Ok.

Run_to_da_hills

I hope this new law also includes all priests.

bronte

I toured a bunch of primary schools in London with a panto cast last Christmas.
Twas like getting into fort knox.

Capt'n Midnight

Napoli wrote: »

If you've done done nothing wrong then you've nothing to worry about.

"This is the mantra of the complacent middle class. It's a faith that they have that the government can do no wrong. It's difficult to shake them of this, and all of the arguments."

"Also most people feel a bit of anxiety's when a cop is following directly behind them when their driving. Pursue the concept of how awful it would be if you felt it all the time."

"If you give me six lines written by the hand of the most honest of men, I will find something in them which will hang him." -- Cardinal Richelieu


While everyone agrees that kids need to be protected, we don't want that to be the thin edge of the wedge. Our law is based on precedent so if they get away with restricting liberties in one area they may do so in another area. Why not do the same for childrens hospitals, then all hospitals (then all prisons maybe kids go in to visit , who cares we, sneak this in so can hassle crims) then we'll have to do public libraries and public swimming pools ( hey lets do that now ! ) kids use public transport so lets do it for buses train stations and airports. Ah feck lets just charge everyone in the country €100 for the new national ID card , follow the British model. It will be as voluntary as health insurance.



TBH, anyone prepared to pay £64 for the privelage of visiting a school without a very good reason sounds a bit suspect.

Twinkle-star15

Napoli wrote: »

I think it's a great idea. Only a paedophile would have a problem with this. Better safe than sorry.

If you've done done nothing wrong then you've nothing to worry about.

I'm not a paedo, and I'd have a huge problem with it! Why should they be treated like criminals because they wrote a few books? It's not like they're going to be unsupervised, in one-on-one situations with the kids- it's nanny-state taking things too far imo!!

It's insulting to register yourself with the government because what- you want to give talks to the kids who like your books?? It's not like previously-convicted sex offenders are allowed in schools anyway!!

994

galwayrush wrote: »

Over here, if there's a hint of say for example a poet with kiddie fiddling tendencies they might make their material essential reading for the LC exams.:rolleyes:

I don't see what an author's personal actions has to do with the value of their work. Plato, Aristotle and Wilde all did as Ó Searcaigh did.

994

Run_to_da_hills wrote: »

I hope this new law also includes all priests.

Did you know that parish priests sit in on interviews for hiring school teachers? It's like the Middle Ages.

thelordofcheese

The_Minister wrote: »

http://sf.carnalnation.com/content/12357/4/jk-rowling-must-register-potential-pedophile

England is going insane.

If an author is visiting a school, they must pay themselves to be vetted first to make sure they aren't paedophiles.

This is what happens when the Law and Order crowd get their way - nonsensical, knee-jerk, ott reactions, with little improvement in the public good.

The rub being if they *didn't* vet people and an alleged paedophile was found to have visited a school, there would be the wailing and gnashing of teeth, and the red tops would have a fucking field day.

That said rowling has been inflicting trauma on children for years via her books, it's a bit late now.

matrim

I'd say fair enough if someone was going to be unsupervised with the kids, but if they are doing a supervised talk where the teacher is going to be around, there isn't really a need for it.

brummytom

994 wrote: »

Did you know that parish priests sit in on interviews for hiring school teachers? It's like the Middle Ages.

And? The parish priest is there because, in a Catholic school, new staff are appointed by governers - that governing body include the priest (along with other people; any moron can be a governer). Whats the problem?

.


I would agree with the original post if it weren't for the charge. Anyone applying to work with children in this country has to go through a CRB check anyway, but £64 just isn't worth it tbh - especially as most of these authors would visit a number of schools, and would no doubt have to pay this fee for each one.

So yeah, I'm undecided quite what I think at the moment

Princess Consuela Bananahammock

So... let me get this straight:

School contacts author to come in and talk to kids about wirting; author HAS TO PAY for a police check in order to fill the obligation...? Author most likely refuses (whether on costs or principle is up to them)... School misses out; kids miss out.

And they say eduacation is a top priority in the UK...?

Twinkle-star15

994 wrote: »

I don't see what an author's personal actions has to do with the value of their work. Plato, Aristotle and Wilde all did as Ó Searcaigh did.

But they're also all long dead.