Biometrics and consent
With the new UK Government’s commitment to “outlaw the fingerprinting of children at school without parental permission” in England, Meadhbh Monahan checks out the situation in Northern Ireland.
Seventeen of Northern Ireland’s 1,096 schools use biometric technology, mostly in their canteens, according to the five education and library boards’ official records. The boards are aware of other schools, under CCMS control also using the system but CCMS does not hold this information.
In light of the UK Government’s tough stance, agendaNi asked the Department of Education to outline their policy on the use of biometrics in schools.
A spokesman replied: "In all cases parental consent should be obtained in advance.
“Schools must comply with the Data Protection Act 1998 in using biometric systems. Biometric data must be treated just like any other personal data under the terms of the Act. Guidance for schools on the introduction of biometric systems is available on the department’s website.”
The website in turn points readers to Becta, the UK government agency which promotes ICT in schools. Its guidance contrastingly says: “There is nothing explicit in the Data Protection Act to require schools to seek the consent of parents before implementing a biometric technology system.”
The Data Protection Act states that personal data cannot be processed unless one of the conditions of processing is met. Consent is one of these, but it is not required if any of the other conditions apply e.g. informing an individual that their personal data will be stored, why it will be stored and who will have access to the information.
Becta adds: “It is a matter of judgement that must be made on a case-by-case basis by the school.”
Biometric technologies work by automatically measuring people’s physiological or behavioural characteristics. This means that a fingerprint is scanned and is translated into a unique numerical code for each pupil; an image of the print is not saved.
“Biometrics is not fingerprinting, it has nothing to do with police or criminals,” Johnny Graham, principal of Belfast Model School for Girls, insists.
“There are four co-ordinates on the finger,” he explains. These are matched to each pupil when they are getting lunch in the canteen.
“We used to have a card system but now there is no question of people losing their cards or having to borrow another girl’s card,” he adds.
Graham organised a parent’s information evening before implementing the system.
“Once they heard how it works and learnt that it is not fingerprinting, they were happy,” he states.
The system is not compulsory but all pupils are currently signed up because parents “realise it’s advantageous.”
The principal is considering rolling it out in the library and other administration duties.
More reluctance was shown by Gary Kelly, principal of St Comhghall’s College, Lisnaskea, before he implemented biometrics.
One of the main reasons he brought it into the canteen was to remove the stigma of free school meals.
“I have to say it is fantastic in the canteen. Previously children would be asked if they were entitled to free school meals or given a dinner ticket and to admit that in front of your peers, I felt, was demeaning.”
Now, £2.30 is added to those pupil’s biometric register each day and “their friends don’t have to know about their socio-economic status.”
Advantages of the system, he contends, are that parents can pay in advance and keep tabs on what their children are eating and spending, first years won’t lose their money or dinner cards, and the eating patterns of particular children can be monitored for visiting health professionals as part of the school’s healthy eating initiative.
However, Kelly states that “the canteen is as far as I will go with it” because using biometrics in the classroom is “too intrusive”.
“I thought it would be too much like a factory, clocking in and out, or schools in America where pupils have to walk through security scanners. That wouldn’t fit with the pastoral ethos of the school.”
On consent, it was a year 14 pupil on the student council who raised the only objection to the system, wanting to know what would happen to his ‘fingerprint’ when he left school. Once Kelly had established that the information will be erased when pupils leave the school, the programme went ahead and there have been “no objections” from parents.
