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New biometric guide for schools Schools warned on fingerprinting
(about 13 hours later)
Guidance for schools about using pupils' biometric data is to be published by the end of March, the schools minister has said. Schools will be urged to seek parents' permission before taking children's fingerprints, under new guidelines.
Minister Jim Knight was responding to a Parliamentary question from Liberal Democrat education spokesman Greg Mulholland about a lack of guidance. But calls to outlaw the controversial practice altogether have been rejected by the government.
It will be available on the website of Becta, the British Educational and Communications Technology Agency. The guidelines, published next month, will "encourage" schools to seek consent before taking biometric data.
Parents and anti-ID card campaigners are concerned about biometric use. The move comes after it emerged some primary schools stored children's thumb prints for computerised class registers and libraries without parental consent.
Forty-seven MPs have signed an early day motion filed by Mr Mulholland calling for parental consent to be required for the collection of all biometric data. The Department for Education and Science says it does not have figures for how many schools are already using biometric data.
Conservative schools minister Nick Gibb has also asked Mr Knight about guidance.
We're talking about social conditioning Phil BoothNo2ID
Mr Knight responded that biometric information about pupils should be handled in the same way as other personal data about pupils, and said it was subject to the Data Protection Act 1998.
Under the Act, schools are not necessarily obliged to seek consent from parents, but they should provide notification of their use of data to individuals involved.
Campaigners expressed their worries that the Department for Education and Skills was not consulting more widely on its redrafting of its current guidance on data protection, which is to include specific guidance on biometric technology.
Mr Knight said Becta would consult with the Office of the Information Commissioner.
Benefits are said to include improved reading
The DfES does not have figures for how many schools are already using biometric data.
However, a web poll by lobby group Leave Them Kids Alone estimated that 3,500 schools had bought equipment from two DfES-approved suppliers.However, a web poll by lobby group Leave Them Kids Alone estimated that 3,500 schools had bought equipment from two DfES-approved suppliers.
Under the Data Protection Act, schools do not have to seek parental consent to take and store children's fingerprints.
'Sensitive area'
But privacy watchdog the Information Commissioner will urge them to do so from next month after pressure from parents and campaign groups.
We would potentially be opening up the possibility that in the future kids will have their identities stolen Andrew Clymer, anti-biometrics campaigner
"Because this is a fairly sensitive area - because young people are going to be sharing their personal information - we are encouraging schools to adopt best practice and seek the consent of both pupil and parent," a spokesman for the Information Commissioner said.
Schools will also be reminded that they must not share the data with other organisations.
But the move is unlikely to satisfy campaigners, who have been calling for a change in the law to ban fingerprint scanners from school premises.
'Social conditioning'
The director of lobby group Action on Rights for Children, Terri Dowty, said having fingerprint technology in schools - allowing students to register, use the library and buy canteen food - was "encouraging children to be casual about their biometric data".The director of lobby group Action on Rights for Children, Terri Dowty, said having fingerprint technology in schools - allowing students to register, use the library and buy canteen food - was "encouraging children to be casual about their biometric data".
Her views were echoed by Phil Booth from the anti-identity card campaign group No2ID.Her views were echoed by Phil Booth from the anti-identity card campaign group No2ID.
Benefits are said to include improved reading
He said: "We're talking about social conditioning. In a school environment it will make kids less concerned about their biometric data."He said: "We're talking about social conditioning. In a school environment it will make kids less concerned about their biometric data."
We would potentially be opening up the possibility that in the future kids will have their identities stolen Andrew ClymerTechnology expert
But he also raised concerns about storing such information on "relatively insecure databases".But he also raised concerns about storing such information on "relatively insecure databases".
Parent activist David Clouter said a lack of guidance from the DfES and the Information Commissioner had "produced a juggernaut of companies wanting to jump on the bandwagon" to sell equipment to schools.Parent activist David Clouter said a lack of guidance from the DfES and the Information Commissioner had "produced a juggernaut of companies wanting to jump on the bandwagon" to sell equipment to schools.
'Stolen identities'
He had been told that having biometric data in school libraries "would encourage people to read".He had been told that having biometric data in school libraries "would encourage people to read".
"Given that children have been reading for centuries I find that hard to believe"."Given that children have been reading for centuries I find that hard to believe".
A technology expert, Andrew Clymer, who raised concerns when his child's school planned to introduce fingerprinting, said that no IT system was guaranteed to last beyond a few years. A technology expert, Andrew Clymer, who has campaigned to keep biometrics out of the school attended by his children, aged six and eight, said that no IT system was guaranteed to last beyond a few years.
However, a fingerprint taken from a 4-year-old child would last a lifetime.However, a fingerprint taken from a 4-year-old child would last a lifetime.
"Security is always developed with a timeframe, but biometric data is for a lifetime."Security is always developed with a timeframe, but biometric data is for a lifetime.
"We would potentially be opening up the possibility that in the future kids will have their identities stolen," Mr Clymer said."We would potentially be opening up the possibility that in the future kids will have their identities stolen," Mr Clymer said.
Guidance
Forty-seven MPs have signed a Commons motion tabled by Liberal Democrat MP Greg Mullholland calling for consent to be required for the collection of biometric data.
Shadow schools minister Nick Gibbs has also asked schools minister Jim Knight about guidance.
Mr Knight responded that biometric information about pupils should be handled in the same way as other personal data about pupils, and said it was subject to the Data Protection Act 1998.
Under the Act, schools are not obliged to seek consent from parents, but they should provide notification of their use of data to individuals involved.
The guidance will be available on the website of schools technology quango Becta, the British Educational and Communications Technology Agency.