Parent sparks fingerprint row at school (From Thurrock Gazette)
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Parent sparks fingerprint row at school
7:40am Thursday 13th September 2012 in News
Grays School
A SCHOOL has been accused of taking its pupils’ fingerprints without their parents’ permission.
Grays School Media Arts College uses a biometric system in its cafeteria for pupils buying lunch and has done so for several years.
Anton Clark, whose son has just started in Year 7 at the school, was shocked when his boy came home and said the school wanted to take his prints.
Mr Clark, who lives in Grays, said: “I told my son not to let the school take them as I felt it was against his civil liberties.
“I waited for a letter or a phone call from the school to explain what they are doing, but nothing ever came.”
Mr Clark assumed the fingerprinting system was a new school policy, but was shocked to learn from his daughter, who is also a pupil at the school, her prints were taken three years ago, again without his consent.
He said his son wasn’t able to buy lunch in the cafeteria after refusing to give his prints.
Before May 2012, there was nothing preventing schools from taking children’s prints without parental consent, although it was considered good practice to obtain it.
Since then, legislation, which will come into force in September 2013, has been passed under the Protection of Freedoms Act 2012, which means schools must get consent.
Mr Clark contacted the school, in Hathaway Road, Grays, to challenge it about the system, as well as Thurrock Council’s education department, but said he felt “fobbed off” by both.
He said: “I spoke to someone at the school who said they thought they had sent a letter out and I couldn’t get anyone at the council to speak to me about it at all.”
A spokesman for the school said it will not be using the technology from next year.
He said: “Students at Grays School have been using this system for several years and details are set out in the handbook each parent receives before starting.
“The no-cash system’s main advantage is that it enables students who are in receipt of free school meals to obtain their lunch in the dining room without being identified by other students
“This gentleman was offered an alternative within hours of making a complaint to the school and has been invited to the school for a full explanation.
“Although the system does not keep fingerprint details in the way police forces maintain their records, changes in legislation mean the school will not be using it next year.”
Comments(16)
rogwj
says...
10:53am Thu 13 Sep 12
mikgrays
says...
11:33am Thu 13 Sep 12
claysman wrote:Of course its wrong to obtain fingerprints without parental consent,as a parent i need to know what the School is doing with regards to my children, i have no problem with the school doing it,but not without my consent....
What wrong with that unless you got something to hide people moan about anything these days
rogwj
says...
12:07pm Thu 13 Sep 12
Farmhouse France
says...
12:23pm Thu 13 Sep 12
rogwj wrote:Exactly. This parent has enough time to make complaints but doesn't seem to have made time to read the school handbook which contained all the information he is referring to.
I daresay a condition of admission to the school is consent in the form of acceptance of what is contained in the handbook that all parents receive before pupils start.
OckendonPaul
says...
3:50pm Thu 13 Sep 12
It should be looked at from the other way round ; "just because you've got nothing to hide, doesn't mean you've got nothing to fear".
Otherwise let's have a camera pointing at your wife in the shower. Hey she's got nothing to hide, right?
claysman
says...
5:08pm Thu 13 Sep 12
mpgrays
says...
9:53pm Thu 13 Sep 12
mikgrays
says...
7:44am Fri 14 Sep 12
claysman wrote:It isn't about having something to hide,i for one have nothing to hide and have no problem, in theory, with fingerprinting, my argument is that parents should be informed of these things before hand.
Reply to above your wrong was not hinting at that at all why bring my wife into this bad taste
mikgrays
says...
7:45am Fri 14 Sep 12
rogwj wrote:Actually it isn't,because at the moment they have no legal duty to do so.
I daresay a condition of admission to the school is consent in the form of acceptance of what is contained in the handbook that all parents receive before pupils start.
antronicsltd
says...
12:29pm Fri 14 Sep 12
This is pure, unfounded paranoia on the parent's part, and poor communication on the school's part.
As the article says, the technology used in these applications does *not* store the actual fingerprint - so there is no risk of someone "stealing" it to frame-up the child!
The school should have taken care to explain this.
OckendonPaul
says...
10:06am Mon 17 Sep 12
claysman
says...
4:58pm Mon 17 Sep 12
antronicsltd
says...
5:17pm Sat 22 Sep 12
http://www.info4secu
rity.com/story.asp?s
ectioncode=52&storyc
ode=4129575&c=1
bababoo
says...
10:09am Thu 27 Sep 12
antronicsltd
says...
12:25pm Thu 27 Sep 12
According to the report, the technology enables the school to *not* sinlge-our pupils in receipt of free meals.
Whether the teachers are rude themselfs (sic) is entirely irrelevant to this story.
claysman says...
10:10am Thu 13 Sep 12