back to article Tories plan streamlined children's database

An incoming Conservative government would replace the ContactPoint database of all children in England with a system covering only those seen as vulnerable. Its central system would cover only groups such as those in care, on the child protection register or with backgrounds of domestic violence, according to Tim Loughton, the …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. Dave
    Coat

    But But But

    All children are now vulnerable, so they must be included.

    Smoke and mirrors

  2. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    how about no dbases ?

    Putting anyones details on a givernment dbase immediately makes them vulnerable.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Somebody point out what we've learned to them

    Putting children on a database makes them *more* vulnerable. Not less.

  4. Anonymous Coward
    Unhappy

    Define "Vulnerable"

    I guess I used to be what the modern political system* will call "vulnerable". Intelligent and energetic kids will always be labelled "Attention deficit" as opposed to "Bored shitless", and The School of Hard Knocks has a way of making people turn to independent thought.

    Read the following a few times...

    Mission statement of Rockefeller's General Education Board, in the document titled Occasional Letter Number One (1906):

    In our dreams... people yield themselves with perfect docility to our molding hands. The present educational conventions [intellectual and character education] fade from our minds, and unhampered by tradition we work our own good will upon a grateful and responsive folk. We shall not try to make these people or any of their children into philosophers or men of learning or men of science. We have not to raise up from among them authors, educators, poets or men of letters. We shall not search for embryo great artists, painters, musicians, nor lawyers, doctors, preachers, politicians, statesmen, of whom we have ample supply. The task we set before ourselves is very simple...we will organize children...and teach them to do in a perfect way the things their fathers and mothers are doing in an imperfect way.

    Youth got pwn3d.

    *Saying "Government" implies that it's merely a problem with whatever puppet party happens to be playting our own^H^H^Hleaders on TV at the time.

  5. b
    Stop

    the government's ContactPoint system, which has a budget of £224m

    <hollow derisive laughter>

  6. Elmer Phud
    Pirate

    About face

    I thought it was the Tories that were after just about everyone to be on a database somewhere.

    It was they who promoted the witch-hunts for possible pedos.

    Oh, how short the memories are of those who want our votes.

    And gave the jobs for huge new (never finished) databases to their mates.

    It may not have been Cameron at the time but it's still the same bunch of business cronies.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Otherwise known as a target rich environment

    Mine's the lucky blue one.

  8. Alan Fisher
    Dead Vulture

    it's obvious

    just like Nu-Labour turned out to be Tories in nicer suits and red ties, the Nu-Tories (should they get in) will be just like labour but with blue ties and nicer hair.....they'll disagree with many policies "in principle" but later impliment almost identical policies to suit "changing circumstances" just like Labour did.....the tone for politics was set by Bush and Blair and the legacy will last a long time yet......

    (gravestone) because democracy, in essence is dead; democracy means you can vote for someone you agree with and believe in, not the lesser of two evils

  9. Ash

    Uh oh...

    I was ready to vote for these fools in order to get the ID Cards and ContactPoint out of action.

    Seems i'll have to go MORE conservative...

  10. Anonymous Coward
    Thumb Up

    Actually....

    As the wife is a Social worker, I know first hand how crap the current systems are. One Social Services computer systems is not compatible with another (those that even have them!), let alone trying to work with the Police and Hospital.

    No matter, just make the blame game that much easier.

    Remember it's ALWAYS someone elses fault.....

  11. David Pollard

    @ Alan Fisher @ Ash

    The idea of using database technology to predict potential criminality from behavioural records (e.g. being late for appointments with doctors or dentists, playing truant, being in a single parent or poor family, living in a 'bad' area etc..) has been around for quite some while.

    Tim Loughton said, "The most recent concern is over the police having access in their enquiries. That was never considered when the legislation was passed."

    This must mean that the Tories did a rather poor job of scrutiny in opposition when the Children Act was passed to let this aspect go unchallenged. Or that they are themselves engaged in the duplicity of purpose of child surveillance.

This topic is closed for new posts.