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Paiuk was directed to the school’s outside medical adviser, who said the form had been used for at least 20 years and that Paiuk’s was the first complaint he’d received. “Let’s say it was added 30 years ago, there weren’t that many C-sections then, so maybe it might have been indicative of a birth trauma,” Paiuk says. “You might have been able to justify the question 30 years ago. But now there’s such a higher rate of C-sections that it’s not immediately indicative of birth trauma or developmental delay. The fact that this has continued for all these years just tells me that people are blindly filling out forms these days.”

While it’s not unusual for schools to require information about incoming students, the questions asked on those admission forms are not universal. Still, Paiuk says she’s heard from mothers in other states who’ve been asked to answer the same question, and have complied.

West Hartford Schools Superintendent Thomas Moore told Yahoo Parenting he intends to reevaluate all school forms for the next batch of incoming parents. “This question has been on our questionnaire for at least 20 years, and thousands of people have filled it out and not noticed it or brought it up. The best I can say is that the question was put on years ago so that we could identify any possible trauma,” Moore says. “But I’ve asked principals and teachers if they’ve referred to it, and they said they didn’t even really know the question was there. So we are going to review all our forms, and questions that don’t seem to help us get to know kids or educate kids will be changed or eliminated.”

Moore says he was glad that Paiuk pointed out the question, as even he — as a parent to two students in the district — hadn’t particularly noticed it. “Discussions with parents are important to me, and the last thing I want to do is make people feel their first tie-in with our school is in any way intrusive,” he says. “I don’t believe it was anything nefarious when the question was first asked. But did it ever have any real utility? Maybe it did, but it doesn’t now, so there’s no reason to have it anymore.” 

Though Paiuk has still not filled out the form, and says she refuses to do so, her son will still be attending kindergarten at Aiken Elementary in the fall. “This isn’t even about my son,” she says. “It’s about mothers and it’s about privacy and it’s about looking at what you’re filling out and thinking about who it’s going to. If you want to fill out these kinds of questions, fine, but think about it.”

They ask those questions about childbirth because those questions can be an indicator of some learning disabilities that occurred during or after childbirth. If the child was born prematurely then they could have learning disabilities. If the cord was wrapped their neck, learning disabilities. If your child didn't go home with you it could be a reason they might struggle in school. All of those questions are pertinent to the school in assessing your child.

Also, dental health is now being linked to heart disease. A lot of kids don't have dental care. Even those kids with access to medical care, a lot of them don't have access to dental care. So the school is trying to find out if any of the kids are falling between the cracks there. They have a dental bus that comes out to the schools. My kids did it once. They clean their teeth and if there's anything wrong they refer them to a dentist.

I wouldn't think twice about answering the questions on that form. I don't consider method of birth to be such a private matter that the school can't know about it. I'm proud of my C-section. It wasn't planned but I love that my son and I have that bond.

Yeah, I'm inclined to forget, too. TMI.

VetteGirl wrote:

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I really don't see how it's a relevant question. They will find out soon enough if the child had learning disabilities, it's not like they would just know by knowing the birth process. I wouldn't answer it.

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 No, they don't know JUST by looking at the form.  But premature children statistically have a much higher rate of having learning disabilities than do children born on time.  I would bet a hundred dollars that the school doesn't even look at stuff UNLESS they start seeing a problem with the child.  Then they can flip back to that and use it as a reference.  Honestly, they are not asking because they want to know about your vagina.  They are honestly asking because it affects your child.  They are not being nosy.  It's not a conspiracy.  People read way too much into things these days.

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

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VetteGirl wrote:

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I really don't see how it's a relevant question. They will find out soon enough if the child had learning disabilities, it's not like they would just know by knowing the birth process. I wouldn't answer it.

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 No, they don't know JUST by looking at the form.  But premature children statistically have a much higher rate of having learning disabilities than do children born on time.  I would bet a hundred dollars that the school doesn't even look at stuff UNLESS they start seeing a problem with the child.  Then they can flip back to that and use it as a reference.  Honestly, they are not asking because they want to know about your vagina.  They are honestly asking because it affects your child.  They are not being nosy.  It's not a conspiracy.  People read way too much into things these days.

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Bullschitt.  There is NO reason to know these things.  And I would never EVER answer them.   

Okay, I'm not going to argue with you. I know why they ask them. It's really no big deal. And if you have a child with learning disabilities those questions are going to be the very first questions they will ask you.

Typically, premature children "catch up" and are along the same level as their term peers before they reach kindergarten.

 

See, I would rather my children be evaluated as everyone else, rather than have a teacher looking for differences because they were early.  

-- Edited by FNW on Thursday 2nd of July 2015 01:00:56 PM

If we look hard enough, we can find fault in anything. I would prefer a teacher not look at my child and say, "Hmm...he was born early, I'll bet he's slow." I would also prefer that my child be challenged, and not have his standards lowered because of the school's low expectations of my child simply because he was born 6 weeks early.

FNW wrote:

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If we look hard enough, we can find fault in anything. I would prefer a teacher not look at my child and say, "Hmm...he was born early, I'll bet he's slow." I would also prefer that my child be challenged, and not have his standards lowered because of the school's low expectations of my child simply because he was born 6 weeks early.

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 I will say this again, I will bet you a hundred bucks that they don't even read that until/unless there is a problem.  They don't go looking for problems that aren't there.  I'm telling, teachers and educators don't have time to make up problems that don't exist.

I understand, NJN, and I volunteered to include my boys in a study conducted by the hospital's NICU where they evaluate the boys every few years. The questionnaires for that program include much of these questions. But for kindergarten, no. Just the basic health information. If there was something newsworthy about their births which affects their current health, then there are places to include this information.

It isn't assessment tools, it's judgement tools.

When forming rooms, they group kids according to what they expect from them. I have several teachers in my family, they have all said the same thing. Problem kids get grouped together, the better off kids get grouped together, the not performing well kids get grouped together.

They use these questions to judge both the child and the parent.

There are also "surveys" that come home asking about where the child lives, the household income, who lives in the house and other questions along those lines.

Yes. The schools are gathering information that may be used against you. And I know this because when the kids had their tonsils out, I had to go to a truancy hearing. And all those questions and my answers were given as matter of record. What they had anyway, and I was questioned about the rest.

OMG some of this chit is so ridiculous.

I don't care why they ask them - it's none of their business and I would simply refuse to give them. But, they asked for my kid's SSNs, too, and I didn't give them. Youl will find a lot of things don't actually HAVE to be answered. They just ask knowing most people won't even give any thought to it, they will just answer them.

I didn't give SSNs either LL. Flat out refused...

I gave SSN's for my kids. I never thought it would be a problem. Of course, that was long before all this crap we have going on today.

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

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Any you know, as a parent, you can refuse to give out whatever information you choose. I don't care. What people want to fill out is their own business. I'm not here to judge anyone. My only point is this lady said they were asking about her vagina. In reality they were not. They were asking about her childbirth experience. There is a HUGE difference. The OP just seems like someone who wants to be one of the perpetually offended and lead an outcry.

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 Her childbirth experience is irrelevant.  The child's condition is what it is, regardless of what caused it. 

And assumptions that parents who answer that those questions probably already have their kid in special classes is rude. I could say the opposite. Parents who don't answer those questions refuse to help educators understand and help their children. So yeah, those assumptions go both ways.

Well, how about this? I don't really give a chit who does what to whom. Someone asked WHY they would ask this information and I tried telling people, in general, WHY. Having a special needs child I've answered these questions dozens of times. I've even taken the time to ask why they needed to know that. And they explained why they needed to know that. So I'm telling you WHY they need to know that. That was all I was doing. I was explaining why they would ask. Now other than trying to give an explanation of why I really do not give a rats azz who does what. I don't really care. I take care of me and mine. That's all that matters to me.

Their answers to "why" are ridiculous. There is no reason for them to know.)

Nobody Just Nobody wrote:

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And assumptions that parents who answer that those questions probably already have their kid in special classes is rude. I could say the opposite. Parents who don't answer those questions refuse to help educators understand and help their children. So yeah, those assumptions go both ways.

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 Teachers and school administrators are not doctors and nurses, anyway, and really wouldn't understand the true implications besides.

FNW wrote:

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Actually, they do read the forms prior to admission. I received calls over the summer from the school nurse and nurse's aid with further questions regarding my boys' health.

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Did they ask you about your vagina?

They ask these questions because they are recommended by the governing body, usually the State. The State does this to collect statistical data to give to the feds. I don't answer such questions.

Spouse saw a new doctor today. Their forms asked for her social security number in three places.

 

They don't need to know that.