Scots schoolchildren to be fingerprinted in controversial ID scheme
Sunday, August 10th, 2008
Raymond Hainey, Sunday Mail
August 10, 2008
MORE than 8000 pupils are to have their fingerprints taken so they can be tracked by teachers.
Controversial biometric fingerprinting will be introduced to eight secondary schools in the biggest experiment of its type in Scotland.
But parents yesterday attacked the scheme, saying there are few controls over who can access the fingerprint database.
Officials behind the scheme say schools can use electronically collected thumb prints to monitor attendance, the buying of school meals and borrowing of library books.
But Scottish Parent Teacher Council spokeswoman Judith Gillespie said: “I have concerns about it and it does raise the spectre of Big Brother.