Some parents and students in a California town have privacy concerns about a school badge identification program. Should they be upset? Not if the system is implemented appropriately.
Brittan Elementary School in Sutter, Calif., activated the tracking program earlier this year. Students were issued a photo ID card that’s worn around the neck. Student ID cards are common in schools, but students and parents were disturbed by what is on the inside of the badge: a radio frequency identification (RFID) chip that holds a 15-digit number assigned to each student.
“This is not right for our kids,” parent Michele Tatro told Wired magazine. “I’m not willing for anybody to track me and I don’t think my children should be tracked, either.”
Seems like a reasonable position. When people are involved, the presence of RFID tags should always be disclosed. People, including children, should not be tracked without their knowledge.
In the Sutter case, it’s debatable whether the school did a sufficient job of informing parents and students. That said, there’s nothing wrong with using RFID to track people in the right situations. And school safety is one of those situations.
It’s also not improper to use the technology to keep unauthorized people out of schools and make sure students are where they are supposed to be.
If it’s appropriate to take attendance in class, it’s appropriate to use and RFID tag.
But the tracking must end at the schoolhouse door. Schools have no justifiable interest in the movements of students once they’ve left campus. That’s the parents’ job.
The program was dropped at Brittan after only a few weeks because the company that developed the system withdrew it until the wrangling between parents, students and school officials is settled.