# Children's PPS numbers



## orka (14 Sep 2007)

Our daughter's school has asked for each child's PPS no as they want to call the roll electronically - does every child automatically have one?  The form that came home seems to assume that each child already has a pps number that the parents should know but I thought you only got one/needed one when you start work.  I certainly don't recall getting one for any of my children - do I have to get on to the tax office to get one? Thanks.


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## Welfarite (14 Sep 2007)

Every child is allocated a PPSN number at birth. Bring the form to your local social welfare office adn they will look up the numbers for you. Or ring them, they may give them over the phone. The tax office has nothing to do with issuing of PPSns any more.


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## huskerdu (14 Sep 2007)

Your kids PPS number will be quoted on any correspondence which you have wrt their childrens allowance, so you might have some paperwork with this on it,

You need it to get a drugs payment card or a EHIC, so its handy to have anyway.


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## CharlieC (14 Sep 2007)

They gave me them out over the phone
Dept is called Identity or something

http://www.welfare.ie/contact/index.html


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## gipimann (14 Sep 2007)

Client Identity Services is the section you're looking for.   Use the main DSFA number (01) 7043000 to contact them


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## Thirsty (14 Sep 2007)

I think I would question the schools need to have this number; there's more than enough data stored electronically as it is.  What protections are they going to provide, what security do they have, what access will you be allowed to correct records etc.,

Open to correction, but I'm pretty sure schools are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.


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## Welfarite (14 Sep 2007)

Kildrought said:


> I think I would question the schools need to have this number; there's more than enough data stored electronically as it is. What protections are they going to provide, what security do they have, what access will you be allowed to correct records etc.,


 
What exactly do you mean? Are you suggesting that providing the school with the PPSN gives the school access to whatever information is held under that number?


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## Towger (14 Sep 2007)

Welfarite said:


> What exactly do you mean? Are you suggesting that providing the school with the PPSN gives the school access to whatever information is held under that number?



They have already started to test national school children (spelling etc on the QT) and official tests are coming soon, so if the PPS number is recorded against the tests they will follow you all your life.

Towger


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## ClubMan (14 Sep 2007)

Good - might eliminate this sort of thing:

Freakwent spelling errors


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## RainyDay (16 Sep 2007)

orka said:


> they want to call the roll electronically -


Just curious - how does this work? How do they actually call the roll? Do they have swipe cards or something?

I can't think of any system that would actually require a PPS number. They really just need a unique number to identify each student. They could simply give a number to each student, starting at 1.



Kildrought said:


> Open to correction, but I'm pretty sure schools are exempt from the Freedom of Information Act.


I think you're thinking about Data Protection Act, rather than FOI. I'd guess that the Data Protection Commissioner would have a pretty strong view on whether the school actually needs the PPS number.


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## hhhhhhhhhh (17 Sep 2007)

RainyDay said:


> *Just curious* - how does this work? How do they actually call the roll? Do they have swipe cards or something?


me too, are they getting rid of the massive role books


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## orka (18 Sep 2007)

RainyDay said:


> Just curious - how does this work? How do they actually call the roll? Do they have swipe cards or something?


I'm curious too and I'll post when we find out.  The school is definitely getting very high-tech - we got a note home yesterday saying that children's thumbprints will be scanned to allow access to the library!


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## Graham_07 (18 Sep 2007)

Towger said:


> *They have already started to test national school children (spelling etc on the QT)* and official tests are coming soon, so if the PPS number is recorded against the tests they will follow you all your life.
> 
> Towger


 
err wouldn't spelling tests be a normal part of school life? I'd be pretty worried if schools didn't do this.


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## Welfarite (18 Sep 2007)

I'd imagine that they are not not actually "calling" the roll electronically, but recording attendance electronically for future inspection of students' attendance. The PPSN need is probably linked to the child's department of education records. Can't see any problem with that ...the PPSN is THE unigue national number nowadays, being quoted on everything from tax statements to planning permissions to driving licences. Big Brother IS watching us!


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## RainyDay (18 Sep 2007)

Graham_07 said:


> err wouldn't spelling tests be a normal part of school life? I'd be pretty worried if schools didn't do this.



I believe the issue Towger is highlighting is not so much the testing, as the recording of test results by PPS number, with the possible impact that your test results stay on your record for life.


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## xb_deai (20 Sep 2007)

They should attach the test results to the teachers PPS so it follows them around. If they have a repeated bad results somebody should ask questions.


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