h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Having just done some random googling on the author, Philip Pullman, I came across reports on Pullman's opposition to the Independent Safeguard Authority and its vetting processes etc. This, in turn, made me read up on the ISA (which I had never heard of before).

So... here are three questions of mine concerning the ISA:

1) Has the ISA been discussed on hootoo before (and if so, does anyone have a link)?

2) Has there been, or is there, a lively, or quiet, debate on the ISA within the English (British?) population, or has there even been debate, at all?

and
3) What is *your* take on it?

The reason I am asking these questions is curiosity and the desire to get more information. From what I have read (which is not much) I tend to agree strongly with Pullman's stance, but maybe there is much more to the whole thing that Pullman does not take into account. That's why I'm asking.

Y.

As a supply teacher I already have a CRB(which I had to pay for).With the ISA I've had to supply even more means of identification..It is supposed to be the supreme last layer of checks.

I don't believe it.I think within a very short time there will be another layer of security added and each new level will surprise,surprise cost me to 'pass'.

I'm also concerned that as CRBs are only an indication of what someone has already done, it's no indication of what they may do in future(as in the recent case of nursery workers having been found guilty of sexual abuse of their charges who had passed a CRB).The ISA will have the same weakness in my view.

In short there are no totally secure and safe ways of totally protecting children.

Also where does it end and what does all this imply?That the whole nation is one whole group of potential paedophiles?

Yes on the surface it does seem reasonable but something about all these added security layers makes me very uneasy.That trust has vanished completely from our lives.