This site was set up to log the rise of RFID in schools, especially the use of active RFID and real time location systems. This blog is being written from the UK but will detail the use of children and RFID across the world.
An estimated 4.5 million children, out of a school population of around 9 million children, in the UK use their biometrics in schools for food, library books, attendance, lockers, etc. The practice of school children using biometrics started in the UK in 2001. The first country in the world to use biometrics in schools. Schools were taking and processing children’s biometrics without gaining consent from parents and in many cases not informing parents that biometric systems were in place in the school.
In the UK in May 2012 the Protection of Freedom Act, clauses 26-28, was passed requiring a school that used a biometric system to inform both parents and to gain the consent of at least one parent in order to take and process a childs biometrics.
This UK legislation came into effect on 1st September 2013. This does not cover the use of tagging children with RFID.
With the possibility that schools may now opt out of using biometrics for other registering technology the use of Radio Frequency Identification, RFID, seems to be the emerging technology and is used in the USA to track children. It is thought the first school in USA to introduce RFID was Spring Independent School District near Houston, Texas, which in 2004 gave 28,000 students RFID badges to record when students get on and off school buses. This was expanded in 2008 to location tracking on school campuses.
Schools in the USA use active RFID, passive RFID and GPS to record children’s whereabouts.
Pippa King
Google Plus: Against RFID in schools
Facebook page: Against RFID in schools
@NoRFIDinschools
My other website:
‘Biometrics in Schools‘ blog
Facebook page: Biometrics in Schools
@Pippa_King
Against RFID in schools 