Hi

I just wondered what you all thought about this, Ed Balls the Education Minister has announced tough new rules concerning school admissions, parents who now lie about where they live will face fines and possible court action if they are found out. Previously they only faced the possibility of the school place being withdrawn. Experts estimate hundreds of places are allocated incorrectly due to parents telling porkies.

It follows an unsuccessful attempt by Harrow council to prosecute a mother earlier this year who lied about where she lived to get her son into a heavily over-subscribed primary school. Is this fair, is it right to prosecute parents who lie and cheat or is this the wrong approach and should the Govt being be doing more to ensure all schools are upto scratch. Should there be a stronger deterrent to prevent some parents playing the system, would you be prepared to do it?

Hmmmm it's a tough one, would I lie to give my child the education they deserve...... possibly. I don't think prosecution is the answer. Taking parents that want the best for their children to court or using the money to help ensure all schools are at the highest possible standard, surely there is no contest.

I think the government needs to be addressing the reasons the parents are feeling the need to lie in the first place.

What do you think? Would you lie to give one of your children the best advantage or if the school in your area was not up to standard would you send them to it and see it as your only option?

We have just made the decision not to 'cheat' in order to get our eldest into the school of our choice and I constantly feel guilty about it.  How messed up is that?! 

There are three schools within a mile of home in our village, our catchment one which was recently in special measures, and two C of E schools.  We agonised over it but decided not to suddenly find a god we do not believe in and subject our son to church services every other week for the required two years.  We felt it would be wrong to go against our principles and lie in the admissions process.  We fully expect not to get in to our first choice school because there will be people who live much further away from the school (eg from the next large town) who will be less moral than us (ironic huh?) and will jump through the appropriate hoops.

We are fortunate in that we think our catchment school has really improved since coming out of special measures so if we do end up there then we think that with our support our kids will be ok, but I can see that for other parents the choices are starker and the potential outcomes more bleak. 

I just wish that the money could be put in to improving *all* schools rather than prosecuting and criminalising parents who just want a good education for their children.

Kelli and

T'Boy(2 1/2 years) and T'Other (10 months)

Hi

It has happened to me, DS1 was due to go to a middle school at 11 ( we were in the process of the system changing from a three tier to a two tier of schooling).

My son was allocated a place at the worst performing school in the town, it was a terrible school,  we were understandably gutted as I hadn't got any of my 3 choices. I then found out a mum in the same year with twins openly boasted that she used her mum's address to get her girls into the school of her choice, she made the mistake of telling my best friend who was a school governor. My son lived closer to the school and had more right to the place than her DD's did, based on catchment. However by using her mum's address she got in automatically.

I reported this lady and to cut a long story short and after getting my MP and local councillor involved and after threatening I would home educate my son and being contacted by the BBC, I got him a place in a school of my choice but it was incredibly stressful and a horrible experience. The woman didn't lose her place and so was very lucky.    

I felt very angry and upset, not only with this woman who cheated but also with the system. I believe in this day and age, with all the money being pumped into education that there should not be this unseemly scramble for places every year. Every school should be a good school and I feel that there should be more checks in place to stop this sort of thing happening. I found out the schools did not check addresses and nor did the LEA, so of course cheating is rife. 

Would I do it? the answer is no. Although I can sympathise with parents genuine desire to give their child the best education they can, I do not believe in lying and cheating to do it, what sort of example is that to set?

I do agree that those parents who are caught should face penalties, otherwise where is the deterrent?  they are in effect taking a place away from a family who have more right to it or might need it more, but ultimately the Govt should be doing far more to iron out the rampant inequalities in the state education system.   

P.S I now help famillies in my area facing school appeals and so on as this is a subject I feel very strongly about, can you tell lol?  

It's a tough one. Would you have reported this woman had you not been having difficulties in getting your son into the school of your choice. Also you are fortunate in that you have the ability to consider home schooling, what about those that don't, do they have to settle for the under performing school?

Also I don't know what it is like in all areas but in the towns I have lived the best schools are in the most expensive areas and the worst performing schools are in the less desirable area. Is it fair that you are given preference over a school because you are probably in a higher wage bracket and can therefore afford to live in a better area?