http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/authors-boycott-schools-over-sexoffence-register-1748267.html
Authors boycott schools over sex-offence register
A group of respected British children's authors and illustrators will
stop visiting schools from the start of the next academic year, in
protest at a new government scheme that requires them to register on a
database in case they pose a danger to children.
Philip Pullman, Anne Fine, Anthony Horowitz, Michael Morpurgo and
Quentin Blake all told /The Independent/ that they object to having
their names on the database – which is intended to protect children from
paedophiles – and would not be visiting any schools as a consequence. [more]
I presume that, as we already have CRB checks which already check for
offences against children, those of us who are public librarians who
occasionally have to go into schools to promote things like Summer
Reading Challenges and the like we will be exempt from this silliness? I
can't say that I would be keen on paying a charge for much the same
reason as the authors mentioned in the article, but also considering
that outside visits are such a small part of our staff's job...
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Loz
"When I was young and my life was an open book, I used to say “live and
let live”, but in this ever changing world in which we’re living, you
sometimes need to step up and challenge pernicious ideas where you find
them, raise a sword to ignorance and send bigotry home in a fucking
ambulance." - Stephen Grasso
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