taxi4ballet Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I've come across one summer school application form which asks for parents' occupations and I'm a bit puzzled as to why they would want to know. Has anyone got any ideas why they would ask that? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bluebird22 Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Is it as part of the survey section? I know they ask for ethnicity and background for research purposes ? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alison Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Maybe they want to know what socioeconomic category you fall into for some reason? 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I wouldn't call it a weird question but more out of place on a summer school application. I can understand why they may want to know this info for a much longer course .......then it might be to see if parents are more or less likely so to speak to be able to afford to contribute for a full three years say. But it seems irrelevant for a summer course that may only be a week long!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flora Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Isn't this also to identify the children of professional dancers Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CeliB Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 well if it is, it's still a pointless question IMO- both my boys are built to dance (although one doesn't want to) but my daughter is built like a rugby player. If parental physique was such a predictor of child physique we'd all be identical for ever....That's the wonders of genetics folks! And if it's a socio economic question to sniff out those with the cash to pay for full time school I find that even less justifiable (cash over talent?) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I think it's a weird question and not one I would particularly care to answer to be honest. What does it matter? If it's looking for genetic predisposition to dancing it's a very flawed idea - no dancers in our family but quite possibly due to lack of opportunity rather than lack of talent, and none of my children really share the talents of me or my husband. And it it's a veiled financial question, that's both unfair and also unreliable. You might have a professional couple who have 5 children from the current relationship, another 4 from previous relationships and huge debts whereas a lower earning family could have a single child and have just received a large inheritance.... If a school or programme are selecting on talent/potential to benefit from training as they should be, then what relevance is parental occupation. I would be tempted to write something scandalous just out of wickedness!! 6 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrancingMum Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Pole dancer and cage fighter - both require physical skill and those at the top of the profession could be relatively high earners! Is that wicked enough for you Pups_mum? (With apologies out there to all of you who are, or whose partners, are in those professions - nothing wrong with them. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I would say it is to do with finding out socio economic & educational backgrounds, especially if the organisation is trying to get any kind of funding or wants to try & increase take up amongst certain under represented groups. 3 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Picturesinthefirelight Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Also if it is a summer school attached to a full time school it's possible they have used the same template application form & parents occupation is a fairly standard question on private school application forms. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Yorkshire Pud Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Also, if a school has any sort of charitable status based on providing dance opportunities to children from all sorts of backgrounds, then they actually need to monitor who they are offering places to. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted November 16, 2016 Author Share Posted November 16, 2016 Ah - I suppose it could be a funding thing as they do offer scholarships. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Pups_mum Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Also, if a school has any sort of charitable status based on providing dance opportunities to children from all sorts of backgrounds, then they actually need to monitor who they are offering places to. In which case you would expect it to be on the monitoring form that you often get that asks things like ethnicity, rather than on the application, and surely the more appropriate question would be a tick box for household income? Telling someone that my husband is an engineer doesn't really tell them very much as that covers a huge range of actual work and income. It must be the same for lots of other professions. 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Pole dancer and cage fighter - both require physical skill and those at the top of the profession could be relatively high earners! Is that wicked enough for you Pups_mum? (With apologies out there to all of you who are, or whose partners, are in those professions - nothing wrong with them. Hello Newdancermum and welcome out of the lurking shadows! I hope we hear more from you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrancingMum Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 Thanks Janet - I just couldn't resist the challenge by Pups_mum! On a more serious note if an organisation has charitable status, such as the RBS, Elmhurst, Tring Park, YDA, NYB, etc there are tax benefits. To maintain that status they have to show that they are supporting students from difference backgrounds and abilities which they will do through their scholarship schemes. This is also one of the reasons for vocational school forms asking about SENS - yes they provide support but also it makes it easier for them to prepare statistics to back up their charitable status. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Huddsballetmum Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I've been asked this on a number of application form before, and also about my educational level ? (though that was for CAT programme) Think as others have suggested it is to determine socio-economic background as they can sometimes apply for educational grants but have to show that the offer is open to all backgrounds etc. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PrancingMum Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I've been asked this on a number of application form before, and also about my educational level ? (though that was for CAT programme) Think as others have suggested it is to determine socio-economic background as they can sometimes apply for educational grants but have to show that the offer is open to all backgrounds etc. This is the same rationale as the charitable status so yes this will be case. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PomPom_Featherbottom Posted November 16, 2016 Share Posted November 16, 2016 I'm not sure how comfortable I'd be answering that question either! In agreement with above, another potential answer may be they are identifying if the organisation is contributing to the student fees for example HM Armed Forces but I would have assumed those type of questions would have come later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lisa O`Brien Posted November 17, 2016 Share Posted November 17, 2016 Welcome, Newdancermum. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Posted November 18, 2016 Share Posted November 18, 2016 My dd thinks its so they can spot the applicants with the most boring parents (us obviously). Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LinMM Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 Not agreeing with your DD mnemo that just made me laugh!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
balletbean Posted November 20, 2016 Share Posted November 20, 2016 My dd thinks its so they can spot the applicants with the most boring parents (us obviously). Boring never, Mad and demented very probably. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Nicola H Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 I've come across one summer school application form which asks for parents' occupations and I'm a bit puzzled as to why they would want to know. Has anyone got any ideas why they would ask that? Is it in the Equality and Diversity bit ? to prove / disprove that dance is a 'middle class' pursuit ... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jan McNulty Posted December 25, 2016 Share Posted December 25, 2016 Welcome to the Forum mph! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
taxi4ballet Posted December 25, 2016 Author Share Posted December 25, 2016 Is it in the Equality and Diversity bit ? to prove / disprove that dance is a 'middle class' pursuit ... No. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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