School fraud laid bare: New figures show 420 cases of parents lying to get children into best establishments

December 27th, 2011

FAKE NEWS for the Zionist agenda

Lies include claiming children
have been baptised to get them into faith schools and using the
addresses of relatives within catchment areas

By
Rebecca English

Last updated at 9:15 PM on 26th December 2011

An increasing number of parents are lying to secure places for their children at the most sought-after schools, figures reveal.

Over the past five years, more than
700 children are believed to have had their school places withdrawn
after false information was submitted on application forms.

In the past year alone, some 420
parents are suspected of cheating the application process to ensure
their children get into the best primary and secondary schools, a rise
of 13 per cent on last year.

Hundreds of parents are suspected of doing whatever it takes - even lying to ensure their children get a place in the top primary schools

Hundreds of parents are suspected of doing whatever it takes – even lying to ensure their children get a place in the top primary schools

Falsehoods include claiming children
have been baptised to get them into faith schools and using the
addresses of friends or relatives within catchment areas.

Many parents are said to feel driven
to ‘desperate lengths’. Brian Lightman, general secretary of the
Association of School and College Leaders, said: ‘The assumption that
parents need to shop around to find the best school has led parents into
getting very anxious about admissions.

Brian Lightman, pictured said many parents feel driven to 'desperate lengths' to get children into a particular school

Brian Lightman said many parents feel driven to ‘desperate lengths’ to get children into a particular school

‘They are now more likely to go to fairly desperate lengths to get children into a particular school.’

The findings – the result of a
freedom of information request to local education authorities in England
– come amid fierce competition for school places.

In the past year, almost one in six children failed to get into their first choice of secondary school.

One in 20 children missed out on at least three schools listed on their applications.

Some schools, including independent
academies, now receive as many as 11 applications for each place.
Primary schools are also under pressure.

According to data from 93 councils,
421 suspected fraudulent applications were detected this year, which is a
rise of almost 13 per cent when compared with the estimated 373 cases
from last year.

Since 2007, 738 places were withdrawn after false information was entered on application forms.

In Birmingham, places were withdrawn on 67 occasions, while in Slough it was 63, Staffordshire, 21, and Kent, 18.

But in an example of the differing
way councils deal with cheating, 20 authorities said they had never
removed places even when parents were found to have lied.

Newham, in East London, said it relied on schools themselves to check all parental information.

However, many local authorities –
including Hertfordshire, North Somerset and Reading – randomly cross
check around 10 per cent of applications against their council tax
files.

Demand for sought-after school places has also driven up house prices, with parents paying high premiums to buy homes near leading state schools

In over-subscribed schools, some authorities carry out checks on all applications, making unannounced home visits in some cases and setting up hotlines.

Demand for sought-after school places has also driven up house prices, with parents paying premiums of £77,000 to buy homes in catchment areas.

A spokesman for the Department for Education said: ‘Parents have found themselves increasingly frustrated by the lack of good school places. We are ending this unfair rationing.

‘Our radical education reforms and our capital investment will mean there are more good schools, and more good school places, for parents.’

Here’s what other readers have said. Why not add your thoughts,
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how about tax relief for people who send their children to private school which saves the govt a fortune every year? In areas where state schools are poor there is often little other choice than to make the necessary sacrifices to go private.

– Mrs D, Edenbridge, 26/12/2011 23:25

I hate kids so I couldn’t care less

– Virginia Bottomley, Avenged crone of Frank, Onion and Threepwood, 26/12/2011 23:23

Get rid of league tables, stop parents from playing the system. The single biggest difference between ‘challenging’ schools and desirable ones are the overall student body and parent interest. Teaching is actually far more likely to be better in challenging schools because bad teachers wouldn’t last five minutes in your average inner city comp, whereas many coast in the ones deemed outstanding by Ofsted (another educational joke.)

– Sarah, Southampton, 26/12/2011 23:20

It is one of a parents most fundamental duties to get the best education possible for their child and the best of luck to them. The tragedy is that top quality teaching is available from so few schools. Bring the schools and the teaching ability up to standard and there will be no need to search for a “good” school place.

– tynes, Oxford, UK, 26/12/2011 21:18

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