It seems that across the world the UK is being held up as bad practice fingerprinting our children in schools.
This from James Heiser from http://www.thenewamerican.com/
"The decision to permit the mechanisms of the national security state to intrude into the most routine aspects of the lives of children as young as four is not only degrading and absurd — it is educating impressionable youths to take for granted that the State will track their every movement, action and thought for the rest of their lives.
Such needlessly pervasive interference in the lives of children is so scandalous that even continental European bureaucrats understand that it is wicked."
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Wednesday, March 02, 2011
Biometrics for school toilets are here!
Even I thought I'd never biometrics in schools used for toilet access...
"In one secondary school in West Lothian there is a hand pad system in place for primary school pupils housed there temporarily to gain access to toilets."
"In one secondary school in West Lothian there is a hand pad system in place for primary school pupils housed there temporarily to gain access to toilets."
This link is now archived here:
https://web.archive.org/web/20110728095646/http://news.scotsman.com/scotland/Hundreds-of-school-children-fingerprinted.6672785.jp
Tuesday, March 01, 2011
Biometrics in Schools briefing
Over on the excellent Action on Rights for Children's (ARCH) website is a overview on the use of 'Biometrics in Schools' for the past 10 years in the UK.
A snippet from the report details the lengths biometric vendors are going to, to market biometric technologies specifically at teachers and parents:
"Some companies have engaged PR firms in order to promote their systems. Livewire PR, for example, were engaged by ‘Vericool’ to provide ‘crisis management’ for its registration system and describes its tactics as follows:
* Ensured that all news releases included implementation advice from the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) – a guideline developed in association with VeriCool - [Interesting to know the DCSF was working with the commercial biometric industry to develope guidelines, presumably separate to the guidance issued by BECTA. Was this ethical given that evidence suggests the DCSF failed to take advice from elsewhere?]
* Used ‘superfan schools’ to highlight the positive benefits of biometrics in education.
* Secured coverage on new school installations within the local media in a drive to educate parents about biometrics and dispel any myths surrounding fingertip technology.
* Commenced executive profiling programme for VeriCool spokespeople to educate teachers and parents about the benefits of biometrics."
A snippet from the report details the lengths biometric vendors are going to, to market biometric technologies specifically at teachers and parents:
"Some companies have engaged PR firms in order to promote their systems. Livewire PR, for example, were engaged by ‘Vericool’ to provide ‘crisis management’ for its registration system and describes its tactics as follows:
* Ensured that all news releases included implementation advice from the Department for Children Schools and Families (DCSF) – a guideline developed in association with VeriCool - [Interesting to know the DCSF was working with the commercial biometric industry to develope guidelines, presumably separate to the guidance issued by BECTA. Was this ethical given that evidence suggests the DCSF failed to take advice from elsewhere?]
* Used ‘superfan schools’ to highlight the positive benefits of biometrics in education.
* Secured coverage on new school installations within the local media in a drive to educate parents about biometrics and dispel any myths surrounding fingertip technology.
* Commenced executive profiling programme for VeriCool spokespeople to educate teachers and parents about the benefits of biometrics."
Friday, February 25, 2011
Chichester High School for Girls - Why?
Schools are still not communicating too well with parents, as headlines only this month portray - "Anger over school’s bid to fingerprint its pupils" at Chichester High School for Girls where they are assuming consent unless parents inform them otherwise.
Regardless of whether Chichester High School for Girls obtain consent now, they will have to try and collect 1463 (no of pupils) x 2 (parents) = 2926 signatures to continue using it during 2012.
Why would they buy such a system when swipe cards/pin numbers will be far less burdensome for them?
The logical long term implication is that the school potentially scraps biometrics and opts for an easier administrative system or the school uses it resources to collect and monitor signatures related to childrens biometrics they process - either way, what a waste of taxpayers money!
Regardless of whether Chichester High School for Girls obtain consent now, they will have to try and collect 1463 (no of pupils) x 2 (parents) = 2926 signatures to continue using it during 2012.
Why would they buy such a system when swipe cards/pin numbers will be far less burdensome for them?
The logical long term implication is that the school potentially scraps biometrics and opts for an easier administrative system or the school uses it resources to collect and monitor signatures related to childrens biometrics they process - either way, what a waste of taxpayers money!
ATL union wecomes the Freedom Bill
The teaching union ATL, Association of Teachers and Lecturers, welcome the provision for biometrics in schools in the Freedom Bill.
Ken McAdam, lead member adviser at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: "ATL has been alarmed at the increasing number of schools that are fingerprinting their pupils, so we are pleased that schools and colleges will have to obtain parental consent before fingerprinting pupils."
Ken McAdam, lead member adviser at the Association of Teachers and Lecturers (ATL), said: "ATL has been alarmed at the increasing number of schools that are fingerprinting their pupils, so we are pleased that schools and colleges will have to obtain parental consent before fingerprinting pupils."
Friday, February 18, 2011
Gov does Impact Assessment on parental consent for processing childrens biometrics
Over on the Home Office's website is an Impact Assessment entitled:
"Requirement for schools to seek written parental consent before processing children's biometric data".
It is good to see a document coming from government raising concerns and offering solutions to the controversial subject of processing children's biometrics without parents consent.
It is, in fact, it is the only document that has ever been issued by our government concerning biometrics in schools, in the 10 years the technology has been in used by children.
The previous 'advice' issued by the now defunct quango Becta was issued without any consultancy, knowledge or research into the subject of biometrics whatsoever, legal, academic or otherwise, etc. This fact came to light in a Freedom of Information request.
In contrast the above Home Office document outlines many aspects to be considered when using childrens biometrics without their parents consent.
"Requirement for schools to seek written parental consent before processing children's biometric data".
It is good to see a document coming from government raising concerns and offering solutions to the controversial subject of processing children's biometrics without parents consent.
It is, in fact, it is the only document that has ever been issued by our government concerning biometrics in schools, in the 10 years the technology has been in used by children.
The previous 'advice' issued by the now defunct quango Becta was issued without any consultancy, knowledge or research into the subject of biometrics whatsoever, legal, academic or otherwise, etc. This fact came to light in a Freedom of Information request.
In contrast the above Home Office document outlines many aspects to be considered when using childrens biometrics without their parents consent.
Friday, February 11, 2011
Freedom Bill 2010-11
The Protection of Freedoms Bill was introduced in the House of Commons this morning and part of the BIll, Part 1 (Chapter 2) includes provisions to protect the biometric data of children in schools and colleges.
The Bill outlines the "Requirement for consent before processing biometric information" of children up to 18 years old.
A law pertaining to children using biometrics has been a long time coming and the whole Bill, including the regulation of biometric technologies and children, needs to be got right. It will be an interesting few months ahead.
The Bill outlines the "Requirement for consent before processing biometric information" of children up to 18 years old.
A law pertaining to children using biometrics has been a long time coming and the whole Bill, including the regulation of biometric technologies and children, needs to be got right. It will be an interesting few months ahead.
Tuesday, February 08, 2011
Millions being spent on biometric systems
I love Google! Type in "biometric cashless catering contracts" and on the first results page alone we have over £4.5 million pounds spent by two Local Authorities on schools biometric systems, as recently dated as December 2010.
Staffordshire Council have a 24 month contract worth £4 million of our tax payers money to dish out to the lucky winner and Warrington Borough Council are tendering for £259,500, quite paltry in light of Staffordshire's school biometric budget.
I wonder if anyone has told these Councils or schools about the forthcoming legislation that means parental consent will be compulsory in order to use a childs biometric detail... why not put an added job, the school has to do, into the equation? - that makes sense!
Staffordshire Council have a 24 month contract worth £4 million of our tax payers money to dish out to the lucky winner and Warrington Borough Council are tendering for £259,500, quite paltry in light of Staffordshire's school biometric budget.
I wonder if anyone has told these Councils or schools about the forthcoming legislation that means parental consent will be compulsory in order to use a childs biometric detail... why not put an added job, the school has to do, into the equation? - that makes sense!
Monday, January 24, 2011
Freedom Bill
Thursday 13 January 2011 - Children Fingerprinting
Question - Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick (Lords Hansard text from 13th Jan 2011)
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will end the compulsory fingerprinting of children at school without parental permission.[HL5389]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The Government intend to introduce legislation in the Freedom Bill to ensure that no children's biometric data are taken in schools or colleges without parental permission.
Hansard Link here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110113w0001.htm#11011367000056
Question - Asked by Lord Taylor of Warwick (Lords Hansard text from 13th Jan 2011)
To ask Her Majesty's Government whether they will end the compulsory fingerprinting of children at school without parental permission.[HL5389]
The Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Schools (Lord Hill of Oareford): The Government intend to introduce legislation in the Freedom Bill to ensure that no children's biometric data are taken in schools or colleges without parental permission.
Hansard Link here: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/ld201011/ldhansrd/text/110113w0001.htm#11011367000056
Movement ahead
Well, the blog has been quiet here but there is, and has been, some movement behind the scenes - more hopefully by the end of the week...
Thursday, February 04, 2010
Back after a break
Well, life set in here for a while but recently biometrics in schools has reared it's head again - more systems out there in the UK and cropping up in other countries too.
Why is it okay to store our childrens biometrics and they exchange their biometrics for food, access, books when we as adults don't?
Check out the Facebook group "Stop schools fingerprinting children"
Why is it okay to store our childrens biometrics and they exchange their biometrics for food, access, books when we as adults don't?
Check out the Facebook group "Stop schools fingerprinting children"
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
Liverpool councillors sever all ties with biometric technology in schools
This from the Liverpool Echo:
"A meeting of the full council will be asked to express its formal “opposition to the fingerprinting of children by schools” and a ban on any local authority-led promotion of its use save for a criminal investigation.
Picton ward councillor Andrew Makinson who is behind the motion said the £20,000 average cost of installing it could be better spent on school staff.
He said government mishaps with personal information was proof all systems were vulnerable.
Council leader Warren Bradley stressed it had always been down to individual schools to adopt the technology.
He added: “It would be wrong to implement a policy and support something which could potentially be of detriment to the protection of our children.”"
"A meeting of the full council will be asked to express its formal “opposition to the fingerprinting of children by schools” and a ban on any local authority-led promotion of its use save for a criminal investigation.
Picton ward councillor Andrew Makinson who is behind the motion said the £20,000 average cost of installing it could be better spent on school staff.
He said government mishaps with personal information was proof all systems were vulnerable.
Council leader Warren Bradley stressed it had always been down to individual schools to adopt the technology.
He added: “It would be wrong to implement a policy and support something which could potentially be of detriment to the protection of our children.”"
Biometric systems 100% safe?
Nunnery Wood High School in Worcester is planning to use children's fingerprints for logging pupils in and out of school and for cashless catering systems.
The system is on trial at the moment with a view to it being fully implemented in 12 months but there are concerns from parents, one parent, Angie Wilkes, stated that:
“Biometric data, when included on UK passports, was hacked within two weeks by Lukas Grunwald, a consultant with a German security company, using a piece of software costing £105,”
You can understand her concerns, yet the school insisted that "the system is 100 per cent safe" - mmm... no system is 100% safe.
"Headteacher Alun Williams said the school had taken advice from government agency Becta, and had carried out rigorous research. " If the Head has done rigorous research he will know that the systems are not 100% safe.
As far as BECTA carrying out rigorous research on biometric systems in schools - they simply haven't. Their advice given July 2007 was given with no research into these systems whatsoever, I know that as a fact as the Freedom of Information Act was used to see what research they had done - zilch.
So for all you Head Teachers out there thinking that BECTA know about these systems, think again.
The system is on trial at the moment with a view to it being fully implemented in 12 months but there are concerns from parents, one parent, Angie Wilkes, stated that:
“Biometric data, when included on UK passports, was hacked within two weeks by Lukas Grunwald, a consultant with a German security company, using a piece of software costing £105,”
You can understand her concerns, yet the school insisted that "the system is 100 per cent safe" - mmm... no system is 100% safe.
"Headteacher Alun Williams said the school had taken advice from government agency Becta, and had carried out rigorous research. " If the Head has done rigorous research he will know that the systems are not 100% safe.
As far as BECTA carrying out rigorous research on biometric systems in schools - they simply haven't. Their advice given July 2007 was given with no research into these systems whatsoever, I know that as a fact as the Freedom of Information Act was used to see what research they had done - zilch.
So for all you Head Teachers out there thinking that BECTA know about these systems, think again.
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