Exeter schools' pay by finger print plan
EXETER pupils could use their fingerprints to pay for their school meals in a scheme which is expected to be introduced in city secondary schools next year.
The hi-tech payment system would see pupils scanning their fingerprints or swiping cards on special machines instead of handing over cash at the tills.
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Fingerprint identification
After pre-ordering their meals online, children would get their fingers or cards scanned at lunchtime to bring up their account and pay for their food.
School managers Carillion say the system would enable pupils to pay for their meals without having to bring cash into school.
But Exwick and St Thomas county councillor Rob Hannaford, a governor at two local primary schools, has expressed concerns about the initiative, which is already being used in schools in Kingsbridge, Bideford and Totnes.
He said parents in these pilot areas were protesting and complaining about the changes and their potential dangers.
“I am definitely against this move and I will be asking for the matter to be referred to the Exeter County Committee for a full and proper discussion.” he said.
“There is no doubt that this controversial move should be put out to consultation with local councillors, parents and school governors before any action is taken in Exeter.
“This is yet again the face of Big Brother government
“Does any reasonable person think its acceptable that school children should be finger printed like criminals, and their biometric details kept on a system?
“How do we know that this system is secure and safe to use? We have seen time and time again that technology fails and hacking can take place.
“It also raises a range of other longer term concerns and issues about bringing in biometric ID cards by the back door, conditioning children to accept this authoritarian approach, and it’s also an affront to all our traditional British civil liberties.”
A spokesman for Carillion said the company and Devon County Council had consulted with schools and had held meetings with governors, to which parents were invited.
She said: “We wouldn’t be looking to do this until at least Easter. This system already operates in Totnes, Taunton and Plymouth.
“The way it would work is the children would be able to pre-order their meals online, so it’s a cashless system. If they don’t want to use their finger for ID, they will also be able to use a card, so there is an option.”
She said the system would also benefit people with special dietary requirements, as at the ordering stage it would warn them if a meal contained something they were allergic to.
11 Comments
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by Lynda Hiscock, Exeter
Sunday, November 29 2009, 5:47PM
“I have already written to Mr Perry to state that if Carriion bring this in @ st Peters, I will not be signing the consent form for Carrilion to go ahead and take my daughter's fingerprint. She is a minor and they need my consent. I do not trust them with this data, as hard rives do go missing in the public section, who in their right mind would trust Carrilion with this information, especially after all the mistakes made when these school were built by them!”
by Alan, Exeter
Sunday, November 29 2009, 2:46PM
“Ok, Donna, seeing as you're so keen, answer me this ...
If someone guesses your computer password, you can change it.
If someone steals your id card for work, you can get a new one.
What do you do if someone copies your finger prints ? Buy new hands ? Get new prints put on ?
Before you make a stupid remark about how somebody could never steal your finger prints, try learning something about security. Or wear gloves for the rest of your life, except when using the id system of course - no wait, if you touch the id scanner you will leave your finger print behind, where somebody can steal it.
People like you are the ones who are responsible for the govt thinking "everybody" is ok with intrusive biometric ID systems. That is to say, people who know nothing about the subject. Do you argue with your doctor, or your car mechanic when they tell you what's wrong ? Probably.
If you read my previous comment and didn't understand it, let me make it plain. Your so called dinner money stealing bully, will have no trouble getting your kid to give them a finger print, without them even knowing. With that finger print, they can pay for their own school dinner using the victims account, and the victim will have to do without, because I'm pretty sure you are only allowed one dinner per day.
Learn to use a search engine and realise the information on how to do this is available to anybody with an interest, including school bullies.”
by Donna, Exeter
Saturday, November 28 2009, 7:30PM
“Fantastic idea, this would stop students having their money stolen and not being able to eat. I have no problems with this. When i go to work i have to use my id to enter work. I have to use my log in to get in to the computer system. I would be more than happy for this scheme to come into place as soon as possible. there is too much uproar about human rights i'm sick of it. What about the children who have their dinner money stolen by bullies. What about their human rights.???
Let it roll”
by John Lloyd, exeter
Friday, November 27 2009, 3:15PM
“Finger printing is illegal
and the school should know that i would take it up with your mp”
by Alan, Exeter
Friday, November 27 2009, 1:46PM
“Oh, good, free school dinners for those with a bit of PVA glue and some common sense.”
by Anon, Exeter
Friday, November 27 2009, 1:45PM
“Oh well, this is something brought in by the government, so that everyone at somepoint will have their data saved on the countries major crime computer. This is illegal and violates your human rights!”
by Jimmy, exeter
Friday, November 27 2009, 12:47PM
“Will get most of them used to the concept for later in life.”
by brin, Exeter
Friday, November 27 2009, 11:09AM
“This is ridiculous, totally unneccessary, and a waste of money. I would not be very happy for a child of mine to be fingerprinted for his or her school-lunch. It sounds like a futuristic nightmare. This should be scrapped, we all have seen the fall-out when hard-drives go missing, would you want all your childs details to be on one of those drives?”
by HAYLEY, CLYST ST MARY
Friday, November 27 2009, 10:08AM
“Makes i laugh
i remember when i was at st peters one of the boys pinched a bread roll from the canteen.
rather than theteacher or headmaster deal with it.
carrilion wanted to cvall the police.
luckly common sense prevailed.
i do agree the meals are bad”
by TIM, QUARRY LANE EXETER
Friday, November 27 2009, 9:00AM
“TIM
BET ITS NOT AS BAD AS THE PIGSWILL THEY SERVE AT ST PETERS.
CARRILION HAD BETTER START IMPROVING”