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School to track pupils with radio chips sewn into their uniforms
Last updated at 14:07pm on 23.11.07
Teacher Andy Stewart scans a pupil from Hungerhill School, Doncaster
Children are to be tracked in school via radio chips sewn into their uniforms.
The manufacturer is marketing the Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) surveillance system nationwide, following a trial with 19 pupils at Hungerhill School in Doncaster this year.
The chip is embroidered into school uniforms using conductive 'smart threads'. A teacher can then scan these to view the pupil's identity, photo, whether they misbehaved in lessons and their school attendence record.
Hungerhill headteacher Graham Wakeling said the pilot was "not intrusive to the pupil in the slightest" because tracking would not go beyond the school's gates.
However, the chip has drawn criticism from civil liberties groups. David Clouter, from LeaveThemKidsAlone, a campaign group, was appalled by the idea.
"To put this in a school badge is complete and utter surveillance of the children. Tagging is what we do to criminals we let out of prison early," he said.
The chips were developed by Danrbro Ltd, which was set up by Andy Stewart, an ICT teacher at Hungerhill School, and a school uniform company.
Schools could fit scanners to doors or give teachers hand-held scanners to identify pupils entering or exiting rooms.
Darnbro siad their product can "trace a pupil's every step during the school day" and that the system can be set up to limit access to doors, such as shutting the main doors of a school to pupils during classtime.
Mr Stewart, 36, said the system would cost about £2000 for a small primary school and up to £14,000 for an average-sized secondary, according to the Times Educational Supplement.
The Department for Children, Schools and Families supports the use of electronic registration to improve safety and security and reduce truancy.
Reader views (7)
Brilliant! I work in schools with high truancy, and it is a nightmare for supply teachers when pupils will not give their correct name, and deliberately attend the wrong lesson.
This system would work even better if staff were also wearing a smart name badge in case of fire or other emergency.
I think Bev's comment above shows that those of us with a clear conscience have no problem with being monitored in the workplace, those who are disturbed by the ideas probably have something to hide, or are concerned about their own activities.
- Maxine, Flint, UK
Fingerprinting school children, CCTV cameras in classrooms and now this?
Yet another terrible idea. Perhaps instead of treating British kids like criminals
The head teacher of this school ought to read the latest report presented by CASPIAN about cancer and the RFID microchip implant!
- Bev Stringer, Yorkshire
What next, microchipping at birth?
- Blind Pugh, Addlestone, UK
its great we are so quick to represent everyone else's human rights except our own. How about we stitch these into our MP's clothes so we know what they are doing and if we are receiving full value for our taxes. We really are going down a very wrong and dangerous path in this country.
- Fly, London
And when pupils swap clothes or throw spare garments over the fence to avoid this?
- Guy, Paris
George Orwell would have marvelled. It exceeds anything in his wildest thoughts. Now teachers will be able to tell if the pupil really has gone to the toilet. The U.K. becomes more and more a police state.
- Phil Jones, London UK
This is wicked beyond belief.
That "The Department for Children, Schools and Families" think this is a good idea is unsurprising. When was the last time you heard of a civil servant actually giving a fig about peoples privacy?
Yet to hear a teacher is one of the people behind this is especially worrying. How do such people get jobs in positions of authority over vulnerable children?
- Threaded, Roskilde, Denmark
