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| Subject: Warning over school smartcard 16 September 2003 Connexions | |
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Author: http://www.eveningtelegraph.co.uk/output/2003/09/16/story5159287t0.shtm |
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Date Posted: Thursday, September 25, 08:40:41am In reply to: Civil rights campaigners have expressed concerns about the new smart travelcards introduced for London commuters. 's message, "Smart cards track commuters" on Thursday, September 25, 08:38:39am 16 September 2003 Warning over school smartcard The vice-chairperson of a UK children’s rights group has warned parents of the potential implications of the city council’s “smartcard” initiative for pupils at Dundee’s secondary schools, writes Graeme Strachan. Alison Preuss of ARCH (Action on Rights for Children), who lives in Dundee, expressed concern at the “creeping surveillance agenda” stripping away at the civil liberties of youngsters in Scotland. Ms Preuss, who is also a spokeswoman of the Dundee-based charity, Schoolhouse Home Education Association, said many parents are unaware of the potential implications of such ID cards. The cards will have a photograph and machine readable strip containing information on the pupil which she said “lends itself to subjective opinions being put on people’s records that often they have no idea exist”. She claimed that thousands of school children in the UK were signing up to such initiatives, often without the knowledge or consent of their parents. “It’s really been introduced covertly, it’s the first step on the road down to softening people up to ID cards, which we would be vehemently opposed to, because, nobody is quite sure who can access the information and how it’s going to be shared. “Very often parents aren’t actually aware their children are consenting to a photograph being taken. I think if there is proper consultation with parents and they agree to it, that’s different, but very often they only get one side of the story and are not told there could be problems, which we have found that there very much could be, with stealing of information, or sharing it beyond data protection principals. “Parents should become more informed about the implications, and not just believe everything they are told by the authorities who tend to just want to make things easy for them, but to find out about the storage of data and inform others about it as well, so that they can make their own judgement about what is right for their children.” The city council said there was “absolutely no compulsion” for any pupil to join the scheme, which, a spokesman said, was “fully compliant” with data protection legislation. “Any pupil who does not opt into the scheme would still be able to use facilities,” he said. “There was thorough consultation about the scheme before it was launched and the city council carried out rigorous research into the legal implications. “The card has been introduced as part of the modernisation of public services in Dundee and has been designed to incorporate other features for the pupils such as the Young Scot card.” Ms Preuss said that although school ID cards were not compulsory, pupils were often given incentives to sign-up and those who who don’t agree were often made to feel “left out” or “different”. “The Connexions service in England is actually offering insurance to half these cards — if you use your card so many times, they will give you vouchers to X, Y and Z,” she said. The Connexions service is a government initiative which has the stated aim of easing the “transition” of young people aged 13-19 between full-time education and post-16 choices in training, education or employment. Connexions is intended to provide a careers, education, health and welfare service to teenagers in a “one-stop shop” where each young person is allocated a Personal Advisor (PA). Connexions depends on the sharing of information about a young person between agencies with which they have come into contact such as social services, youth offending teams, schools, LEA’s, health authorities, local authorities, the police and probation officers. The power for them to share confidential information was granted by the Learning & Skills Act 2000. The much-vaunted but equally controversial Thumbprint Signature Programme, whereby customers at several stores in Dundee were asked to provide a thumbprint when buying goods with credit or debit cards, “died a death” according to leading retailers involved in the scheme, with objectors claiming it infringed civil liberties. Ms Preuss warned that tens of thousands of UK school children are being finger printed by schools, often without the knowledge or consent of their parents, as part of a cost cutting “automation” of school libraries. Privacy International has condemned the procedure, branding it “dangerous, illegal and unnecessary”, and has called for a prohibition of the technology in schools. [ Next Thread | Previous Thread | Next Message | Previous Message ] |
| Subject | Author | Date |
| Whilst these privacy concerns currently only affect commuters in London, the country's other major transport companies are working on a smartcard scheme which could have similar implications for commuters. (NT) | U.K. | Friday, September 26, 11:19:37am |