Racial Identification?

The look from Twink is about how I feel when we received a letter home from our local school district. The letter/form title reads Student Racial and Ethnic Identification. It states in this letter that they have adopted a new policy that requires them to collect this information. The information will be used for the following:

- Report information to the State and Federal Education Departments
- Plan educational programs and make sure that they are readily available to all students.
- Study the movement of students in different ethnic groups as they move from school to school.
- Analyze differences in academic performance, attendance and completion of school.

If this form is not filled out a student records officer from our school or the district will be required to identify the group to which the student appears to belong, identifies with, or is regarded in the community as belonging.

Does anybody else see this as wrong? I know people who do not have children of a minority race see no problem with it but I just do not see why this is REQUIRED! We have already given this information once when we register the child for school so why do have to do it again?

I can tell you that both of my children from China are register with the school system but do not attend the schools. One goes to a deaf school and the other is in the preschool program. We are moving out of the school district but I am disappointed that they have decided they needed this new policy.

What are your thoughts?