Phillip Pullman

[Future17]

I think this guy is an idiot.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8153251.stm

The fee is paid for him. The law is designed to protect children. It doesn't disadvantage the authors at all.

Does he think all authors are beyond suspicion? It really winds me up when people put their own pride and arrogance before the safety of others.

[Woody1985]

I only read the first couple of paragraphs but if they think they are above vetting cos they're wrote a book then they can shove their books up their *****.

Unscrupulous people come from all walks of life and guises.

[J-C]

I'm a Taxi driver and have been vetted so as I can drive kids to and from schools, what gives them the right to think they're exempt.

[blaikie]

I work for Disclosure Scotland who do these kind of checks. Its a great service, Guy is a complete tool by the sound of things :cool2:

[The Green Goblin]

This is not about the routine kind of disclosure scotland checks that are in effect just now. I agree that those checks are a good thing. Neither is it about Pullman thinking he`s above the rest of us, or anyone who works with children. It`s about a cloud of suspicion being hung over anyone who comes into contact with children because their name is held on a database, ie: which makes them a possible offender simply because of what they do.

This what Pullman said: "This reinforces the culture of suspicion, fear and mistrust that underlies a great deal of present-day society. It teaches children that they should regard every adult as a potential murderer or rapist."


The advanced Disclosure check is an excellent and required process to work with children. I have happily gone through it several times. This is a totally different idea to the one being proposed. This is a database, like the sex offenders register. It`s permanent, and it leads us down a never-ending path.

Will the woman who sells kids sweets from her shop need one? What about a librarian? A park keeper? Because a very small minority of adults presents an element of risk towards children, the other 99+% will be required to be on a database and, to add insult to injury, pay for this "privilege".

People who regularly volunteer to work at schools – such as parents helping out on school trips or sports days – will need to register. The new rules mean that millions of people who have jobs which involve indirect contact with children will have to be assessed in case they pose a risk. School janitors, cleaners and kitchen staff will have to pay the registration fee, as will electricians, plumbers and joiners if they are regularly employed by schools. Members of the fire, police and ambulance services who tour the country talking to pupils about issues such as road safety and sexual health will need to be vetted, as will members of the armed forces who give frequent careers talks and cadet instructors.


This plan will turn everyone who wants to work with kids into a suspect and potential criminal. The only surprise is that parents themselves don`t have to register, although were that to happen in time, I would hardly be surprised.

Long live the culture of fear.

GG

[PeeJay]

This is not about the routine kind of disclosure scotland checks that are in effect just now. I agree that those checks are a good thing. Neither is it about Pullman thinking he`s above the rest of us, or anyone who works with children. It`s about a cloud of suspicion being hung over anyone who comes into contact with children because their name is held on a database, ie: which makes them a possible offender simply because of what they do.

This what Pullman said: "This reinforces the culture of suspicion, fear and mistrust that underlies a great deal of present-day society. It teaches children that they should regard every adult as a potential murderer or rapist."


The advanced Disclosure check is an excellent and required process to work with children. I have happily gone through it several times. This is a totally different idea to the one being proposed. This is a database, like the sex offenders register. It`s permanent, and it leads us down a never-ending path.

Will the woman who sells kids sweets from her shop need one? What about a librarian? A park keeper? Because a very small minority of adults presents an element of risk towards children, the other 99+% will be required to be on a database and, to add insult to injury, pay for this "privilege".

People who regularly volunteer to work at schools – such as parents helping out on school trips or sports days – will need to register. The new rules mean that millions of people who have jobs which involve indirect contact with children will have to be assessed in case they pose a risk. School janitors, cleaners and kitchen staff will have to pay the registration fee, as will electricians, plumbers and joiners if they are regularly employed by schools. Members of the fire, police and ambulance services who tour the country talking to pupils about issues such as road safety and sexual health will need to be vetted, as will members of the armed forces who give frequent careers talks and cadet instructors.


This plan will turn everyone who wants to work with kids into a suspect and potential criminal. The only surprise is that parents themselves don`t have to register, although were that to happen in time, I would hardly be surprised.

Long live the culture of fear.

GG

:top marksExcellent post - hits the nail on the head IMO. The UK is really turning into some strange "Orwellian" country: everyone on camera, everyone on a database! I read only yesterday that some schools in England were banning parents from school sports days - isn't that crazy???:confused:

[McHibby]

This is what the current Children's Laureate thinks:

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article6717078.ece

[Future17]

This is not about the routine kind of disclosure scotland checks that are in effect just now. I agree that those checks are a good thing. Neither is it about Pullman thinking he`s above the rest of us, or anyone who works with children. It`s about a cloud of suspicion being hung over anyone who comes into contact with children because their name is held on a database, ie: which makes them a possible offender simply because of what they do.

This what Pullman said: "This reinforces the culture of suspicion, fear and mistrust that underlies a great deal of present-day society. It teaches children that they should regard every adult as a potential murderer or rapist."


The advanced Disclosure check is an excellent and required process to work with children. I have happily gone through it several times. This is a totally different idea to the one being proposed. This is a database, like the sex offenders register. It`s permanent, and it leads us down a never-ending path.

Will the woman who sells kids sweets from her shop need one? What about a librarian? A park keeper? Because a very small minority of adults presents an element of risk towards children, the other 99+% will be required to be on a database and, to add insult to injury, pay for this "privilege".

People who regularly volunteer to work at schools – such as parents helping out on school trips or sports days – will need to register. The new rules mean that millions of people who have jobs which involve indirect contact with children will have to be assessed in case they pose a risk. School janitors, cleaners and kitchen staff will have to pay the registration fee, as will electricians, plumbers and joiners if they are regularly employed by schools. Members of the fire, police and ambulance services who tour the country talking to pupils about issues such as road safety and sexual health will need to be vetted, as will members of the armed forces who give frequent careers talks and cadet instructors.


This plan will turn everyone who wants to work with kids into a suspect and potential criminal. The only surprise is that parents themselves don`t have to register, although were that to happen in time, I would hardly be surprised.

Long live the culture of fear.

GG

Every single person in the UK already has their personal details held on Government databases and, for the majority of us who conduct our lives using financial products, supermarket loyalty cards, internet shopping or anything of that nature, our details will be held on many commercially operated and controlled databases as well.

There are a whole plethora of jobs which require you to be suitably qualified before you are able to actually work in that role. This is no different. If you want to work with children, you have to be qualified. In this case, that qualification means disclosure and being registered on this database.

The fact that 99.9% of people who work with children pose no threat doesn't mean we shouldn't look at measures to eliminate the possibility of the 0.1% causing harm to children. This measure is no more than a slight inconvenience to those looking to work with children and if it helps to avoid a repeat of the Ian Huntley murders then I can't understand anyone being against it.

The database is full of people who wish to work with children. Nobody has suggested it's not full of people who are potential paedophiles.