Biometrics In Schools

I didn't realise that schools already had fingerprinting programmes in place, for things like school catering, automated attendance, and library borrowing.

It's the thin edge of the wedge, since in the future, it will move on to retina and iris patterns, voice, facial shape, hand measurements and behavioural characteristics such as handwriting and typing patterns.

It's a scandal that, under this guidance from BECTA, schools are not required to seek parental consent.

The guidance states that schools should not store biometric data after pupils have left - and that any information can only be used for the specific purpose for which it was given. When children leave school, or the original purpose no longer applies, schools will be expected to destroy this personal information. Schools are also barred from handing over such information to any other organisation. There is also a requirement for schools to have sufficient security to protect this data.

That last point is interesting, since there must be student hackers hard at work to break into school computer networks to get this sort of info, the 2007 equivalent of Matthew Broderick changing his grades.