I'm probably well behind everyone else on this one but in the last tedious lot of revised policies e-mailed to me at work is one tucked away well down the list informing me that I shall have to register for this dratted thing by 2012, I think it said.

I have joined in the general tutting that took place on here when it was sent to music teachers, and murmured in sympathy with Philip Pullman et al when they refused to sign on the dotted line; but at least he had a choice. I have to register (and pay a fat fee) with a recently set-up body in order to practice my profession, or I will no longer be eligible; now if I work without the nod from this Government body and paying them the required fee, I shall be guilty of an offence.

We don't need to smoke and drink any more (although I find myself curiously in need of both at the moment!) - the government must be about to rake in eye-watering amounts of revenue with this stealth tax. Is it because ID cards might be going up in smoke?

I would dearly love to tell them where to stick the job, the registration form, and everything else to do with it but will think of my pension and pay up like the rest of the sheep.

Bah!

.. which I think is effectively not true - the person/company employing you without checking the register etc is guilty of the mentioned offence. In the end, same difference really, because you won't get the job.

For private teachers with a clean slate though, it won't be a legal requirement to register (and it is still not clear if this will ever be the case), which makes the whole thing so ridiculous. You will only be guilty of an offence if you are a registered offender trying to set up a private business (involving vulnerable groups) without registering

I didn't realise that. I thought I had to register.

There's a significant risk of false positives with the CRB - see http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2248521/Hu...RB-checks.html# and I'm in no hurry to spend a lot of money on something I don't need.

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