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STUDENTS FINGERPRINTED
Students at a Gainsborough school are being fingerprinted in the classroom, it can be revealed.


Queen Elizabeth's High School (QEHS), on Morton Terrace, is one of more than 200 schools nationally to use the new MLS biometric fingerprinting technology.

The school says the system is used to access the school library, but critics fear the data could be lost or stolen and used for other purposes.

The biometrics have already been branded as a "big brother style system" by Members of the European Parliament.

"A child's rights and freedoms are in the custody of their parents, not the schools they attend," Derek Clark, UKIP MEP for the East Midlands, told The Standard.

"I want to know why this is being done, how widespread it is and whether it is being carried out at the behest of the local education authority.

"Most important of all, I want to know if schools are seeking the consent of parents before carrying out such actions."

Queen Elizabeth's has confirmed that parental consent was sought before the biometric system was launched.

It said the system was introduced after books went missing using the previous paper system.

But Coun Pat O'Connor, town ward member for local education authority Lincolnshire County Council, said he was "very concerned" to learn children were being fingerprinted in the town.

"I think we are setting a dangerous precedent for ourselves if we start fingerprinting children," said the father-of-three.

"Why do they need to start doing this? It opens a whole world of issues when it comes to data protection and human rights. I would be very wary of this."

Two hundred schools across the country are listed as using biometric systems on the website leavethemchildrenalone.com

The Department of Education and Skills said schools should inform parents if they are adopting the system, unless a child is of "sufficient maturity" to give consent themselves.

QEHS deputy headteacher Peter Russell confirmed letters had been sent to parents seeking permission.

"I think it is justifiable that concerns were raised, but this system is safe," he said.

"The data can only be used for library books - nothing else.

"I think the fears are there simply because people don't understand why it is being used.

"Once they do there is not a problem."

What do you think? Should children be fingerprinted in schools? Write to The Standard at 5/7 Market Place, Gainsborough, DN21 2BP. alternatively email us at editorial@gainsborougheditorial.co.uk