CRB checks for parents of kids taking part in foreign exchange programs

[bunn]

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article6879295.ece

I did two exchange trips when I was of that age, one to France and one to Germany.   The German one was pretty grim, but that was because my father was dying of cancer at the time so I was probably not feeling particularly open to new cultures, and even that one, I have some brilliant memories of.  I am pretty sure that both did more for my language skills and general independence and confidence than any amount of classroom teaching.

Why would anyone want to formalise something so effective and undangerous, particularly when that is likely to crush the whole idea except for the most well-prepared and determined of families?   And surely, the criminal records check people are already overloaded and checks are taking ages...?

I expect the next move will be CRB checks for pregnant women and their partners.  

Comments

[the-marquis.livejournal.com]

Discussing this with the neighbour (Inventor) while Na'Quis and his daughter played he said he would have been of the same view as me (oh no what idiots dreamt that up) up until a couple of months ago. Now he realises that actually there is now a worrying proportion of the UK population that need the government to manage what they do, and that as you can't single that group out you have to make the rule fit everyone. I pointed out that this would be poor sods who have been failed by NuLab's "education,education,education" etc*.

Sadly I don't know if the Tories would scrap it and try and get the various rights and freedoms back, you almost wonder if things will continue until there is a monstrous backlash which may also roll back various good things.

*and then you wonder was it deliberate?

[sigisgrim.livejournal.com]

And it's not just NuLab, education has been going down hill for decades. I can remember people complaining about education standards when I was at school.