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Crackdown on school place cheats Crackdown on school place cheats
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Tougher action should be taken against the thousands of parents who lie to get their children into popular schools, England's school places watchdog says.Tougher action should be taken against the thousands of parents who lie to get their children into popular schools, England's school places watchdog says.
Schools Adjudicator Ian Craig said an estimated 3,500 parents lied on school application forms each year.Schools Adjudicator Ian Craig said an estimated 3,500 parents lied on school application forms each year.
Local authorities should use all means open to them to deter parents from cheating the admissions system.Local authorities should use all means open to them to deter parents from cheating the admissions system.
This includes removing places from the guilty and pursuing them through the courts, possibly using the Perjury Act.This includes removing places from the guilty and pursuing them through the courts, possibly using the Perjury Act.
Although Dr Craig said currently people had "nothing to lose" if they lied to get a place, he stopped short of calling for school place fraud to be made a crime. Dr Craig said currently people had "nothing to lose" if they lied to get a place, but he stopped short of calling for school place fraud to be made a crime.
It's really important that parents who are properly playing by the rules aren't disadvantaged Ed Balls Children's Secretary It is a form of theft and surely we ought to be saying wherever we can that this is not right Dr Ian CraigEngland's Schools Adjudicator
He said he was not persuaded that the courts would use short-term prison sentences in such cases.He said he was not persuaded that the courts would use short-term prison sentences in such cases.
He added that fines would not be effective against parents who could afford to rent a second property close to a popular school.He added that fines would not be effective against parents who could afford to rent a second property close to a popular school.
False address However, he described lying to get a place at a good school as a "theft" because it deprived another child of that place. He called on the media to send a message to parents that this was wrong.
The detail of how parents caught making misleading or false applications should be punished is to form part of a second report ordered by the Secretary of State Ed Balls. The detail of how parents could be deterred, and any sanctions to be taken against those that make misleading or false applications, are to form part of a second report ordered by the Secretary of State, Ed Balls.
This first report on "fraudulent or misleading applications" was commissioned by the government following the case of a mother accused of using a false home address to get her child into a popular school in London.This first report on "fraudulent or misleading applications" was commissioned by the government following the case of a mother accused of using a false home address to get her child into a popular school in London.
She denied fraud and the case was dropped by Harrow Council. Children, Schools and Families Secretary Ed Balls asked Mr Craig to look at the issue as part of his annual report. She denied fraud and the case was dropped by Harrow Council which urged Mr Balls to close any legal loopholes. He then asked Dr Craig to look at the issue as part of his annual report.
Fraudulent or misleading applications include giving a false address on an application form, renting a second address near to a popular school or faking a marriage breakdown. False addresses
class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAYI think I would go to any length to ensure my child got a good education, and did not go to a 'sink school' Bert, UK class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=7182&edition=1&ttl=20091102030821">Send us your comments Dr Craig asked the 150 English education authorities to provide information on the scale of fraudulent or misleading applications their area.
Other ways of cheating include pretending that a cousin or even an unrelated child with the same surname - who is already in the school - is a child's brother or sister to secure a place in a school that gives priority to siblings. Two-fifths of the 123 councils that responded to Dr Craig's inquiry said the problem was a growing one, with some authorities reporting as many as 100 cases.
Mr Balls said: "I am reassured that the vast majority of applications are honest; but remain concerned that some places may be being obtained by deception while other children are being denied their 'rightful' place. In total 1,100 incidents where local authorities had taken action were reported by these 123 councils.
Dr Craig said if this was extrapolated across the remaining councils the number would be more like 1,300 cases.
Officers then said they believed they were only catching about half the number of school place cheats.
Dr Craig said: "The majority of parents are honest. If we put this in the context of the 800,000 reception class entries and about 800,000 children transferring to secondary school.
"That's 3,500 out of about one to two million school place applications."
'Marriage breakdowns'
He added: "It is a form of theft and surely we ought to be saying wherever we can that this is not right."
He blamed parents and not the schools admissions system for the problem, saying: "It's the parents that need to tell the truth, this is about the parents bending the rules and not telling the truth."
But he said there needed to be consistency between local authorities about what, for example, could be deemed a "permanent address".
Ways of bending the rules or cheating included using relatives' addresses and renting a property for the duration of the application.
Parents also faked marriage breakdowns, with the children moving to a different address within a school catchment area then returning to their previous address when the application process was over.
'Small minority'
Mr Balls said he was reassured that the vast majority of applications were honest, but he was concerned some places were being obtained by deception.
"I take this issue very seriously and it is vital that it is also taken seriously by schools, admission authorities, and parents."I take this issue very seriously and it is vital that it is also taken seriously by schools, admission authorities, and parents.
"The small minority of parents who break the rules must understand that obtaining a place by deception is not fair to everyone else.""The small minority of parents who break the rules must understand that obtaining a place by deception is not fair to everyone else."
 Liberal Democrat schools spokesman David Laws claimed the government was in a complete muddle over the issue.
Are you a parent? How far have you gone to get your child admitted into your preferred school? You can send us your experiences using the form below or class="inlineText" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=7182&edition=2">send your comments to our debate. "The government is now said to be considering a media campaign to highlight this issue, but it seems this will be a further waste of taxpayers' money with little prospect of any impact on the problem.
name="say"> "It is wrong for parents to cheat the system. However, the problem is more likely to be solved by creating more good school places than a daft media campaign."
The BBC may edit your comments and not all emails will be published. Your comments may be published on any BBC media worldwide. href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/terms/">Terms & Conditions class="lp" href="http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/talking_point/default.stm">HAVE YOUR SAYI think I would go to any length to ensure my child got a good education, and did not go to a 'sink school' Bert, UK class="" href="http://newsforums.bbc.co.uk/nol/thread.jspa?forumID=7182&edition=1&ttl=20091102030821">Send us your comments