Children's authors slam Vetting scheme
A group of respected children's authors and illustrators have vowed to boycott British schools in protest at the Government's Vetting and Barring scheme.
Philip Pullman, Anne Fine, Anthony Horowitz, Michael Morpurgo and Quentin Blake told The Independent that they objected to having to register on a database and would not be visiting any schools as a consequence.
Vetting and Barring, which will be launched in July 2010, will require the registration of all those who work with children and vulnerable adults. The system will hold information about criminal convictions, as well as 'soft intelligence' relating to the unsuitability of individuals to work with children (Analysis, 1 July).
Mr Pullman, author of His Dark Materials, said, 'I've been going into schools as an author for more than 20 years, and on no occasion have I ever been alone with a child. The idea that I have become more of a threat and I need to be vetted is ludicrous and insulting. This reinforces the culture of suspicion, fear and mistrust that underlies a great deal of present-day society.'
Ms Fine, a former Children's Laureate, said, 'Our children will become further impoverished by this tiresome and ill-considered scheme, and yet another gulf will be created between young people and the rest of society.'
