Finger printing

[mariner]

Gonna make myself unpopular here. I think fingerprinting is a great idea, it should be compulsory. Firstly the school want the fingerprints as kids would forget cards/money etc. They cannot forget their fingers. Also, if they did something criminally wrong in the future then their fingerprints are on record, surely a deterrent?

 

[english]

Gonna make myself unpopular here. I think fingerprinting is a great idea, it should be compulsory. Firstly the school want the fingerprints as kids would forget cards/money etc. They cannot forget their fingers. Also, if they did something criminally wrong in the future then their fingerprints are on record, surely a deterrent?

the problem is that is not why they are doing it. here is the govt reply to my anonymous email:

'Dear Sir/Madam
Thank you for your email of 11 September concerning the fingerprinting of schoolchildren for use in computerised library systems, security scanners and other functions.

I should explain that Schools and Local Authorities (LA) are responsible for deciding their own policies relating to information about children which they wish to hold and use, subject to the relevant legislation on Data Protection and Freedom of Information. It is for each school to decide whether or not to collect pupils’ biometric data. In collecting data of this type the school will rely on the broad powers contained in paragraph 3 of Schedule 1 of the Education Act 2002. This enables a governing body to do anything which appears to them to be necessary or expedient for the purposes of, or in connection with, the conduct of the school.

It will be for the school to establish that it – and its contractors - are acting lawfully in collecting data and is, on a case-by-case basis, compliant with Human Rights and Data Protection duties and the common law of confidentiality. Schools should seek legal advice from their local authority where necessary. Additionally, the government agency for ICT in Education, the British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA), have published guidance for schools in 2004 on their obligations and responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and other related legislation.



The Information Commissioner is aware of the concerns people, especially parents, have over the widespread use of biometrics, especially fingerprints, and I understand that this is something the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) plans to look into over the coming months.

Yours sincerely

Leona Smith
Public Communications Unit '

that says to me it's up to the school if they want to do it , now if it becomes law then schools Have to do it therefore I was lied to in the above statement ;-(

 

[Vixen]

I dont see a problem with schools wanting to finger print children and cant see what all the fuss is about .

 

[english]

I dont see a problem with schools wanting to finger print children and cant see what all the fuss is about .

it's an invasion of privacy. I don't want my nice children to go through 'the procedure' as though they're criminals. Why does it have to be compulsary ... whats wrong with the good old fashioned register ..

 

[googiemans2001]

It is unbelievable that schools have the power to expell a pupil for not agreeing to give finger prints,this surely is not legal,what is happening in this country when our school children are being treated as criminals. Big Brother is getting a tighter grip. As technology progresses it all seems designed to keep an eye on everyone. You soon won't be able to scratch your bum without them Knowing about it.

 

[Vixen]

surly its a good thing to finger print them especially in senior schools . This is society now you have to move with the times . Also if your child follows the rules there shouldnt be a problem. This will really only affect the child that doesnt follow the rules. I think in a couple of years people will say that they should have done this sooner just like ur pic on driving licence and identity cards . If you do nothing wrong then surely u have nothing to worry about.

 

[Reddevil]

well when my kids were at school they used to bring letters home informing parents of things that were to happen, dont think they would just think it up over night.

plus i dont see what harm it could be anyway a good way to identify who they are,.

 

[carrskid]

Here's an update, my friend challenged the school about the policy, it has been over two weeks and they are still thinking of a way to respond, no answer yet. On the topic of why the parents had not been informed, well the answer was that it would have caused too much of a fuss. Also the school was not sure how the system really worked, all that they could say was that the sales rep told them the digital number generated by the finger print could not be reverse engineered.

Now all of you who think it is a fantastic system well good on you, follow the blind, but in life if you do not question what in theory sounds like a good idea, you may live to regret it. One example identity thieft, how about your finger prints turning up at a crime scene, try proving you was not there. Sounds a bit far fetched. Well lets see what happens in the years to come.

What worries me the most about this school is that they have not really thought this through, they have totally bought the product on what a sales man has told them.