The Scottish government's Health and Wellbeing census, intended to gather insights from pupils as young as 14, is under intense scrutiny due to concerns over data privacy and informed consent. Conducted online in classrooms, the survey asked approximately 130,000 students about their sexual experiences, sparking widespread debate. The controversy emerged after the UK stats watchdog boss, Ed Humpherson, warned the Scottish government in 2022 that they might have "underestimated the significance" the survey held for parents and the public. Following this, the government withdrew access to the collected data.
Half of Scotland's 32 councils opted out of the survey, citing concerns about the lack of informed consent and potential breaches of anonymity. Despite assurances on the survey form that information would not be shared, data was later marketed to external researchers, contradicting promises made to participating children. This inconsistency fueled further criticism and demanded a comprehensive review into the matter.
The Health and Wellbeing census first made headlines in 2021 due to its probing questions directed at pupils in S4 (ages 14 and 15) regarding their sexual relationships and contraception use. The survey's release almost three years ago was met with mixed reactions, leading Ed Humpherson to urge the Scottish government's chief statistician, Alastair McAlpine, to publish the results of a review into the survey. Humpherson emphasized the urgency by demanding publication within 30 days.
"Finding out what young people think is really important but data must be collected in an ethical, open way with proper opt-in consent." – Ed Humpherson
The Scottish government has committed to meeting this 30-day deadline for publishing the review. The census was initially intended to provide valuable insights into young people's health and wellbeing, but the execution has raised significant ethical concerns.
"It's clear that it's time for the full review to be published so we can establish what happened and how protocols will need be changed to put things right." – Ed Humpherson
The issue of parental involvement was also highlighted by Humpherson, who suggested that had parents' concerns been heeded earlier, the current issues might have been resolved much sooner.
"If the parents that initially raised this issue were listened to at the time then these matters could have been properly dealt with years ago." – Ed Humpherson
The controversy surrounding the survey has prompted a call for revised protocols to ensure ethical and transparent data collection practices in future initiatives. As the Scottish government prepares to publish the review, stakeholders eagerly await clarity on how such a misstep occurred and what measures will be implemented to prevent recurrence.
