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Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 9:29 am Post Subject: Government to look at 'tagging' children with ID numbers
The government is looking at an ID/tracking system for NZ children. A couple of things interest me about this story from Stuff. The use of the term 'tagged' in the article is noteworthy. Also, this super interrelated database on every person presumably continues throughout the adult life of the individual in this scenario with all sorts of agencies having access to and correlating each personal history on file...
Stuff wrote:
Plan to give kids ID numbers
The Government is examining a proposal to have children tagged and numbered in a central database to stem abuse and failure at school.
Personal details of every New Zealand child, including welfare and health concerns, would be entered into the database, to be shared by schools, social agencies and health authorities.
It would be similar to Scottish and British initiatives, with a single ID number issued for each child, enabling authorities to be alerted to potential problems.
Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope said he had sought advice on setting up such a scheme here.
"I am interested in ensuring that children do not fall through the gaps and that our monitoring of young people is as coordinated as possible."
Stuff is also running a poll about the issue. The question they are asking is:
Should personal details of every NZ child be entered into a central database to be shared by schools, social and health agencies?
At the time of writing this, 44.9% of respondents are saying yes, 49.5% are saying no and 5.6% are not sure.
Also interesting is an article on the front page of Stuff about Police being fed up about searching for lost trampers - the two articles are visible at the same time. I sometimes feel that the juxtaposition of news stories carries powerful implications - implications that register in the minds of readers and listeners. ID, tracking, tagging, databases, technology, people getting lost, the problem of identifying bodies etc etc etc. One might be expected to feel that some sort of more permanent tracking and identification system would be a good thing! :shock:
Makes one feel rather 'crestfallen' that article, especially seeing the level of support. Who are these British advisors? I hear they're also advising on the road tolling proposal in Auckland.
Good point about the juxtaposition of news stories as well. Certainly would be noticed by many and related to the whole idea of safety and quick recovery of people in trouble.
Yes, it is interesting. Simon Dallow on Viva Radio talks a lot in the morning about current issues. He reads some very good commentry written by himself for five minutes or so. He talked about the road tolling and was quite hot under the collar about it.
Joined: 22 Feb 2004
Posts: 140
Location: Auckland, NZ
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 6:10 pm Post Subject:
Quote:
"I am interested in ensuring that children do not fall through the gaps and that our monitoring of young people is as coordinated as possible."
Social Development Minister David Benson-Pope
The Minister seems to think that it is not only within the governments rights to monitor citizens, but further, that it is somehow desirable for them to have a coordinated plan across government agencies to monitor children...
Ohhh... but it has to be done if it is for the good of the kiddies... right???
If the community is genuinely concerned protecting children, then protecting their civil liberties would be a good start!
Joined: 05 Nov 2003
Posts: 814
Location: Auckland, New Zealand
Posted: Mon Mar 20, 2006 7:03 pm Post Subject:
And good point about the preservation of civil liberties too Colin...
One of the worrying aspects of this kind of 'monitoring' is that I imagine that the database could contain observations and opinions from health providers or other officials, authorities, or possibly even teachers and the like and that those observations can be accessed and put together with other information to suggest a potential problem, and thus, a potential solution to that problem. Such observations taken out of context, misunderstood, or even (heaven forbid) coached responses from children by well meaning social worker types could prove to be very, very dangerous.
We are at risk of the government overstepping the bounds of parental responsibility and that of society to intervene in the lives of its citizens. I acknowledge there are problems that need to be addressed and the many kids are at genuine risk in their living environments. However, increasingly invasive 'monitoring' of this kind is unacceptable in my book. In the USA this kind of solution potentially results in forced medication of children where the diagnosis, for example, is mental illness (for which the guidelines for diagnosis are frighteningly broad, encompassing traits or behaviours such as boredom)
I fear however, that people have been successfully habituated to having the prying eyes of the state upon them and many of them, alas, would actually prefer it. :?
Probably off the track a little but saw this is Mondays Herald
Follow link to full article at the "Guardian"
Millions of children to be fingerprinted
Jamie Doward, home affairs editor
Sunday July 30, 2006
The Observer
British children, possibly as young as six, will be subjected to compulsory fingerprinting under European Union rules being drawn up in secret. The prints will be stored on a database which could be shared with countries around the world.
The prospect has alarmed civil liberties groups who fear it represents a 'sea change' in the state's relationship with children and one that may lead to juveniles being erroneously accused of crimes. Under laws being drawn up behind closed doors by the European Commission's 'Article Six' committee, which is composed of representatives of the European Union's 25 member states, all children will have to attend a finger-printing centre to obtain an EU passport by June 2009 at the latest
