Stop the DfE from gathering pupil nationality data

I wonder what it must be like to be a non-British family worrying about the possible outcome of Brexit and then to receive a text message from your children's school saying "Info required-If your child is not of British Nationality or was not born in the UK, pls inform the school by tomorrow"? Then, a few days later, you receive a letter from the school ([1]). Maybe you've also been asked to declare your nationality by your employer too ([2])?

We should not discriminate between British and non-British children in our schools:

* It is not clear what purpose this data serves given that the DfE already records pupils' ethnicity and first language.

* The data is unlikely to be accurate since responding is optional and non-respondents will be assumed to have British children.

* The data could be abused in the future ([3]).

* The Greater Manchester Law Centre has called parents to ignore the census to avoid discrimination and inequality ([4]).

Thanks for reading this far. Please have a think about this issue and decide whether to sign this petition. The DfE's plans are probably entirely innocent, but is this the direction we want our country to go in?

[1] https://twitter.com/twrc/status/783744325234679808

[2] https://speakout.38degrees.org.uk/campaigns/fw-proposal-petition?utm_campaign=speakout_campaign_1437&utm_medium=thank_you&utm_source=twitter

[3] http://schoolsweek.co.uk/pupil-nationality-data-is-safe-with-us-says-government/

[4] https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/oct/05/ignore-school-census-queries-on-nationality