In an ‘inappropriate survey’, primary school students as young as 10 years old are asked about the drinking habits of their parents as well as theirs.
Norfolk County Council’s health officials drafted the questionnaire, which was distributed to all primary schools in the county.
The 18-page study includes a series probing questions. It asks how often they consume take-away food and whether gaming or TV is affecting their sleep.
The questionnaire also asks about smoking and drinking in the household, and whether they themselves smoke or drink.
Parents were furious, claiming that the questionnaire was inappropriate for their kids. They also complained about not being consulted.
The county council claims that the survey has been ‘altered,’ so as to make it appropriate for different age categories.
Terry Myers’ daughter, aged 10, attends Martham Academy near Norfolk
In an ‘inappropriate survey’, primary school students as young as 10 years old are asked to answer questions about the drinking habits of their parents and their own. Stock image
Terry Myers’ daughter, aged 10, attends Martham Academy, Great Yarmouth in Norfolk. He and other parents have expressed their ‘annoyance’.
He said that a lot questions asked didn’t seem age-appropriate. Many parents were annoyed by this.
“Ideally, I’d want to be able to read the questions before my child is asked to answer them, but this did not happen.”
The survey was designed for children in grades four, five, and six. This means that students as young as 7 were asked to complete the questionnaire.
Only older students in the sixth and eleventh grades were asked questions about alcohol consumption and smoking. However, younger students were asked to describe their parents’ and carers’ drinking and smoking habits.
The questions also included war and terrorism as well as their mental health. They were asked if they heard any “shouting or violence” in their home.
The survey was conducted as part of the Flourish initiative, a county council-run program aimed at improving children’s and youth’s lives in Norfolk.
The aim was to help public health officials understand how young people feel about certain aspects of their lives.
After being informed of the questions to be asked and the purpose of this research, some schools and academies chose to participate.
Don Evans is the chief executive officer of Broad Horizons Education Trust which operates Martham Academy
The survey told children that if they were uncomfortable, they didn’t have to answer the questions. However, they were concerned about how the option ‘prefer to not say’ would be interpreted.
The sample letter to parents highlighted the fact that students can opt out if their parents do not want them to participate.
Don Evans, the chief executive of Broad Horizons Education Trust which runs Martham Academy said that parents were not informed due to an ‘administrative mistake’.
He said that neither the school nor the trust had been involved in the design of the survey – we simply distributed it to schools on behalf of the council.
In one instance, an administrative error meant that parents and caregivers were not informed of the survey beforehand. This has caused some anxiety.
“When the headteacher realized her mistake, she sent an apology in full to all parents and caregivers of the children at the school.”
Norfolk County Council spokeswoman said that the survey was a health survey and was designed to specifically cover priority topics for Norfolk children and youth.
These topics include oral health, physical health, emotional well-being, knowledge and use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco and vaping, as well as safety and protection. The survey is tailored to different age groups, and the topics are adapted accordingly.
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