Child Protection Mania Rolls On

It isn't just home educators. The fear of the red tops that generates this government's approach to child protection has now resulted in the Vetting and Barring Scheme which will involve the scrutiny of practically every single parent and almost every other adult in this country, given that all but the most unusual will at some point be involved in a "regulated" activity.

"What is a regulated activity Regulated activity is any activity which involves contact with children or vulnerable adults. This could be paid or voluntary work.

Such activities include:

• Any activity of a specified nature which involves contact with children or vulnerable adults frequently, intensively and/or overnight.
• Any activity allowing contact with children or vulnerable adults that is in a specified place frequently or intensively.
• Fostering and childcare.
• Any activity that involves people in certain defined positions of responsibility."

Of course, this is just absurd. The amount of totally unnecessary red tape, the cumbersomeness and near total insensitivity of the system, the huge likelihood that it will generate problems of abuse rather than solve them as it infantalizes the population into thinking that they can't use their own judgement and that they can't relate well enough to their own children to explain risk to them, to explain that certain things must not happen, and to find out from their children that there might be concerns.

The MSM has actually stirred itself to be angry about this and commentators widely appear to agree:

The Times
The Telegraph
BBC
The Daily Mail

In the Mirror, the officer in charge of the Soham murder investigation says things have gone too far.

Home educators should now set about explaining to their MPs, the press, anyone who cares to listen, that this is exactly how they feel about the vetting and barring scheme that is being applied to them.