Give me the child and I will show you the man..
April 6, 2008 by Ruthie
Having been thwarted in their attempts to have us logged and tagged via Identity Cards (as a consequence of the ineptitude of the civil service in losing databases in the post - God bless bureaucrats) the Government has come up with a more subtle and invidious means of controlling the citizen. A new “Childrens Register” is being set up to apparantly to identify and help youngsters felt to have problems holding them back at school. It is not designed for children at risk of harm, but for those with any health, learning or general wellbeing problems. The common assessment scheme will encourage professionals who have contact with children to pass on concerns to assessors including matters such as “family routines”, “evidence of a disorganised and chaotic lifestyle”, “any serious difficulties in the parents relationship” and “ways in which the family income is used”. Whilst reports will be compiled only with consent, its not difficult to envisage a siuation where, say, access to certain benefits would be contigent upon giving permission. Apparently children as young as 12 may be deemed sufficiently responsible to give permission - although one may question whether a child being considered for inclusion on the list, ought to be by definition considered unsuitable to give permission.
Goodness I wonder what will happen to all that information as the child grows up? I’m sure we can be confident that it will be kept privately and be systematically destroyed when the child reaches adulthood. It is well known that criminal activity occurrs in disproportionate measure within families of the deprived and dysfunctional, but I’m sure that the information gathered on the child, would only ever be used for the child’s welfare, and not, say as a means of crime control and prevention.
The Stasi regime in Eastern Germany had citizen control methods off to a fine art. Unfortunately they relied on a network of informants who are notoriously unreliable. Still it’s good to know that in these modern days of electronic surveillance, informants have been rendered largely otiose.
Better still, why not save taxes by chipping us with a transmitter at birth, and putting tranquillizers in the water supply. Not only would our whereabouts be known at all times, but we’d be too docile to cause any trouble even if if we did wander around late at night.
Of course with all crime instantly solvable, Ruthie would be out of a job. Alternative suggestions anyone?
shouldn’t worry about the info; our friend the unnamed junior civil servant will record it to cd and then post it off into the void… high time they sacked this bloke. he’s been responsible for every cock-up for years. probably that poncey one off the apprentice if you ask me.
George Orwell’s spirit is alive and well and living in 10 Downing Street. You know it’s all for our own good, this surveillance society. What human rights? You don’t need them when our beloved PM will look after us.
Just tell me the best country to which to emigrate.
tibet - you can do what you like and they are equally likely to shoot you or someone standing next to you with a funny haircut.