UK school census collects student ethnicity

English school head teachers were asked to fill out a census form designed in partnership with the Department of Education and hosted by Capita that included fields asking for pupils’ asylum status, ethnicity, and passport numbers and export dates. Families are meant to be advised it’s not mandatory to supply the information, but when they don’t schools “ascribe” - that is, guess - children’s ethnicity. Privacy campaigners expressed concern that the census data would be used for immigration enforcement.

Article: UK school census collects student ethnicity

Publication: Independent

Writer: Rachael Pells