13 February 2008
For immediate release, 13/2/08
All 14-year-old children in England are to have their personal details and examination results recorded for life on a new database, called MIAP (‘Managing information Across Partners’). [1]
Every child is to be issued with a ‘unique learner number’ which will allow educational establishments, local authorities and prospective employers to access individuals’ records online. Sensitive and potentially damaging information such as exclusions and expulsions will be stored on the database.
Though officials deny that this is another step towards a national identity *card*, this is clearly a part of the broader National Identity Scheme and ‘Transformational Government’ agenda. [2]
Phil Booth, NO2ID’s National Coordinator said:
“Numbered for life and with every black mark against you made public, you’ll never be able to make up for a bad year at school. If they get your marks wrong, you’ll be the one treated as a cheat.
“Without any warning and with the National ID Scheme on the rocks, yet another dodgy database is being proposed as the cure for all ills.
“Tag ‘em young and track them for life might work for cattle but it’s not how a fair and just society treats people, especially children. Official CV, unique number or ID card, it’s all just about the state telling you – and others – who you are.”
-ENDS-
Notes for editors
1) http://www.timesonline.co.uk
‘Every child in school numbered for life’, The Times, 13/2/08. Note the explicit link to ID cards in the up-to-now secret planning stages of this new database:
“Original plans for MIAP drawn up by the Government in 2003 suggested that the database could be linked to identity cards, raising the prospect that once pupils were in the system they might be forced into accepting an ID card.”
2) http://www.hm-treasury.gov.uk
department now has to follow the lead of the Home Office on "identity management" and the Ministry of Justice on "data-sharing":
“The MoJ is leading a cross-government programme to deliver a package of measures over the next 3-5 years to overcome current barriers to information sharing within the public sector.”
3) NO2ID is the UK-wide non-partisan campaign against ID cards and the database state. See http://www.no2id.net/dbstate
http://ukpollingreport.co.uk
For more information, or for immediate or future interview, please contact
Phil Booth (National Coordinator, national.coordinator@no2id.net) on 07974 230 839,
Guy Herbert (General Secretary, general.secretary@no2id.net) on 07956 544 308,
or Michael Parker (Press Officer, press.officer@no2id.net) on 07773 376 166.
The NO2ID Campaign
Box 412
19-21 Crawford Street
London W1H 1PJ
enquiries@no2id.net
Tel: 07005 800 651
Press: click here
