School pupils in Argyll and Bute will not take part in a national census on health and wellbeing after concerns were raised about some of the questions.
Councillors decided not to be involved in the Scottish Government’s survey, which is aimed at pupils from primary five to S6.
Questions to pupils from S4 upwards include subjects such as sexual experiences, drinking and smoking. Other local authorities have already decided against issuing the voluntary census to youngsters.
The decision for Argyll and Bute was made by the council’s community services committee today.
Yvonne McNeilly, the committee’s chair, said: “I have had discussions with the leader, who is of the same mind as me, that we should not participate in this survey.
“I have also spoken to the vice-chair of this committee and he, like myself, is minded that this is something we should not take part in.
“All of this is incredibly intrusive and there are many ways of gathering information that can form policy and do not need this level of data-mining.
“We also share major concerns about the confidentiality of all this, and it has left us very worried.”
Cllr Green added: “In theory I think the survey would be a useful tool for a variety of purposes, but looking at the more controversial questions, like alcohol and drugs, the survey cannot guarantee absolute anonymity.
“Participants are asked for information like their candidate number, although it states that it would be for research purposes. There are elements that give me significant worry. “
Councillors on the authority’s SNP group had a different opinion, suggesting that the council held fire until closer to the April 2022 deadline for responses.
Cllr Audrey Forrest said: “I was interested in the Children’s Commissioner (Bruce Adamson) suggesting a pause.
“Given that the main objections are around privacy and questions relating to 14 to 16-year-olds, I would be happier to pause while the Commissioner makes a decision.”
And Cllr Gordon Blair added: “We are two generations away from the current one. If this was handed to me when I was at school, I would have been embarrassed by having to take any census.
“But we are in a different world now and you have to give the professionals the opportunity to reflect. To reject it out of hand might not be the best service we can provide for our young folk.
“I know young people are much more resilient because of the progress we have made in education and all the things we have talked about recently.
“If the rest of Scotland moves this on, it is something we should reflect on and have the opportunity to put it back to the Commissioner.”
Jennifer Crocket, the council’s head of education, said: “The relationship between staff in schools and our young people is vital and we continually review their wellbeing. That is done through a number of ways – pupil interviews and formal conversations.
“But I think it would be fair to say that the type of questions posed by the survey, particularly to older children, would not form the basis of a day-to-day conversation.
“However, if the young person indicated anything of that nature, that is something a pupil support teacher would follow up.
“The survey is a means to an end – a blanket way to gather information, but we are able to have conversations using materials which are already the norm.
“One or two of the local authorities who have opted out completely are working on their own variety, which they deem more appropriate.”
A vote then took place on whether to decline to take part in the survey, or to pause the process to seek clarity from the Commissioner.
Ten of the 14 members of the committee voted in favour of not taking part.
The Scottish Government has been contacted for comment. In a statement on its website, it said: “As local authorities are required by law to plan for children’s services in their local area, they have a legal basis to ask children and young people about their lives and wellbeing to help them with this.
“The individual data about children and young people is being collected by these local authorities for statistical and research purposes only for the performance of a task carried out for reasons of public interest.”
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