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Kiddyprinting Takes Off In
Scots Schools
Adam Forrest
Sunday
Herald
Sunday October 07, 2007
ALMOST HALF of all local authorities in Scotland
have schools using fingerprint or palm-print machines to record
the identity of pupils.
A Sunday Herald survey revealed the speed at which biometric
systems have spread since a palmprint reader was piloted at a
Paisley primary school just one year ago. Since then, 14 educational
authorities have introduced biometric identification, with at
least two others planning to put such systems in place.
The technology is currently used to record information about
library accounts and register pupils' school meal status in the
hope that anonymity will help tackle the stigma of free school
dinners. Despite fears that such systems are eroding civil liberties
by creating unnecessary banks of identity data, experts believe
"kiddyprinting" will continue to expand in the near
future.
Alan Cunningham, of Yarg Biometrics, the Scottish company which
introduced palm-vein scanners in cafeterias, believes new projects
could soon place biometric systems at the school gates.
(Article continues below)
He said: "It is possible to have a secure access system
at the door that would register pupils, and could send an automatic
text message to parents to let them know if children attended
school that day."
Parents across the UK, concerned about such a future, have formed
the campaign group Leave Them Kids Alone. Spokesman David Coulter
said: "Schools are not the right place to hold this kind
of sensitive data.
"There isn't sufficient protection in place. The (UK) government
is failing in its duty to uphold children's rights, to protect
their most precious commodity, their future identity."
The private firm Amey is now presenting biometric systems as
part of its pitch for all new school building contracts. The company
was keen to assure parents in Renfrewshire, where 11 more schools
are set to adopt palm readers, that the technology was safe and
data could not be stolen or misused.
Grant Henderson, Amey's director of education, said: "The
parents of all children who use the palm-vein scanner are fully
aware of the system and have given permission for the children
to use them. This information is retained only on our local secure
server and is not shared with any external bodies."
A Renfrewshire Council spokesman added: "The experience
we've had so far has been positive, with support from staff, parents
and pupils."
Coulter rejected the argument that data could not be compiled
on any national database at a later date. "All these systems
are potentially compatible. If someone has access to biometric
data, we don't know how it could be used in 10 years' time."
Patrick Harvie MSP, who raised questions about the implications
of school fingerprinting in the Scottish parliament last year,
is concerned its rapid spread its sending the wrong message to
young people.
"They could impinge directly on civil liberties, but in
a wider sense, they seem to be preparing young people to surrender
their biometric data. We should be teaching children to be very
careful about protecting their identity."
The Green Party MSP also said previous proposals about the introduction
of scanners, CCTV, compulsory ID cards and random drug testing
in schools were a worrying indication of a shift in educational
ethos. "It feels like an environment where pupils are being
policed, rather than the nurturing, learning atmosphere we should
be creating."
Amid concern that some schools had not properly consulted parents
on finger and palmprinting, the information commissioner recently
issued best-practice guidelines on gaining the consent of both
young children and their parents. The Data Protection Act, however,
does not prevent school fingerprinting without parental consent,
and campaigners are angry that students over 12 are deemed mature
enough to make up their own minds.
Yarg's Alan Cunningham said only appropriate biometric systems
would be introduced in schools, but predicted a boom in the widespread
use of the security scanning technology.
"Secure access is the biggest market for biometric systems.
Down the line, in the next three to five years, biometrics will
be used in bank cards. In the next five years, we'll see an explosion
in where biometrics are used."
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BECAUSE THERE'S A WAR ON FOR YOUR MIND
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