April 2007 — News

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Biometrics in K-12: Issues and Standardization

--by Patricia Deubel, Ph.D.--->

See for Yourself

You can find any number of news reports, websites and blogs posting concerns about biometrics in schools. If you are also concerned, investigate these resources:

The Boston Globe (2007, April 4) reported on the uproar of parents and ACLU officials concerned about privacy and identity theft as a result of Taunton schools' (MA) plan to use fingerprint scanning in its lunch program. They are calling for legislation in Massachusetts to regulate the use of fingerprint scanners, which State Senator Marc R. Pacheco is apparently considering.

Leave Them Kids Alone.com (UK) is against fingerprinting of children in schools. See the powerful video clip Think your children are safe at school?, which shows the concern about using fingerprints to check identity of school children.

Pippa King's Blogspot on Biometrics in Schools has such comments as "People have to be start raving mad to use conventional biometrics to improve the efficiency of a children's lunch line" (2007, April 6).
--P. Deubel

I began this three-part investigation on using biometrics in K-12 after reading The Truth about Biometric Devices in Schools (Johns, 2007). In part 1, I defined biometrics and indicated that they are creeping into nearly every market in our society, particularly since the tragedy of September 11. There are applications used in education to authenticate transactions; control entry into various facilities; monitor time and attendance; secure access to laptops, PCs, and networks; and more. I introduced you to the most commonly used biometrics in schools, which are fingerprints and handprints, provided resources for you to make your own investigation into the nature of those technologies and products available, and left you with concerns to think about.

Now I'll delve more into those issues that have been raised by parents, students, and civil liberties groups. All of this is intended to help you better decide to ban its use or buy into biometrics. Stay with me, for in part 3 we'll look at vendor claims and a sound business plan of action that leads to a security solution you really need.

Issues
You will hear some immediate positive views on using biometrics in schools. "If my child is made more secure as a result, if it makes life easier, increases efficiency and accuracy, let's go for it." In the public sector, biometrics can prevent identity theft and fraud and help law enforcement agencies find missing children. But when faced with certain issues, people start to think a little more about implications on their rights. Most K-12 schools probably don't need the level of security provided by biometrics. Is their use overkill? At least one parent in Irvine Unified School District (CA) would agree, as the high school scrapped plans to implement fingerprint technology in its lunch program when angry parents voiced privacy concerns (Mehta, 2006).