New Government guidance on fingerprinting is a Fingerprinter's Charter.
How one school in Leeds threatened 11 year old children with suspension!!
(according to this email received from a parent on September 14th - we have had many similar accounts from other schools)
It seems to us that the only bullying going on in lunch queues is from schools that are forcing our young children to give up their fingerprints. See what you think...
Whilst this is all still fresh in my memory, I wish to share with you what I can remember about the meeting. Obviously it isn't precisely word for word. As I am going from many scribbled notes, memory and my own personal interpretation of the event.
But let's just start by saying that Morley High is a large school and I would approximate 500 - 600 parents & kids who were in attendance. I was situated right at the very back of the hall and really struggled to hear everything that was said.
I am not a public speaker, just another concerned parent, who quite frankly shook like a pathetic quivering jelly fish!
When the opportunity came for parents to ask questions, blinded by spin and technology, nobody raised a single hand..... Somebody had to get the ball rolling....So I did......gulp !
My first question to [manufacturer's representative]
What is the name of your Company please?
A - ggggggggg
Q - Are you part of ggggg?
A - no
Q - I first read about the scandal of introducing biometric fingerprinting to 3500 schools, last year. This was done
without parental knowledge, permission or consent. Yet the kids were still fingerprinted. I find this to be a very concerning
trend. A child's fingerprint is with them for their entire lifetime. How can you justify doing this?
A- That's a negative comment. It is not a fingerprint that is stored, only an algorithm. This is merely a coded sequence of numbers.
It is perfectly safe there is absolutely nothing to worry about.
Q - If anything should go wrong, a normal password could be changed, a pin number could be changed.
Why risk using a child's fingerprint when there are easier and safer options?
A - fingerprints change, its only an algorithm. It's perfectly safe there is nothing to worry about.
Q - How can you justify introducing this system, it is not the law ?
A - It is the law, it was passed in parliament in June this year. If you don't believe me, I can prove it at the end of the meeting. [this is untrue - LTKA]
quickly diverts attention, turns to dinner lady. say's something along the lines of..." isn't the dinner lady doing a remarkable
job, let's all give her a round of applause"
(Claps)
Dinnerlady praises the marvellous new system. How it can monitor exactly what the kids eat, healthy eating, no school dinner money, no bullying, confidentiality of kids who are on free meals. Also mentions that any child refusing to comply (or words to that effect) will not be included in any future outdoor activities such as BBQ's
attention diverted to Headmaster Mr gggggg ...
Mentions to all in room that the system is compulsory. Quickly raises the mood, by talking about the more positive benefits of cashless catering & team work
[manufacturer's representative] answers more questions from different parents:
Is it connected to the internet ?
A - No
Q - Can this information be shared with anyone else?
A - no it safe and the information only remains in school
Q - is it connected to a network?
(couldn't hear the answer)
Q - A parent questions the steep rise in daily spending limit to œ5.00 (current system œ1.80 a day)
A - Let's face it, if you give kids cash, they won't spend it on a school dinner, they will go to the local shop buy 10 cigs and a bar of chocolate
[laughter]
With this method you even have the option to change the daily allowance........ blah de blah de blah
Next I read out a paragraph, (going completely from memory here!) but think it was something like the M1 and the interchangeable templates, quoted the numbers and asked if he could still guarantee the safety & storage of the kids prints to remain only in the school.
(at this point he lost his cool for a moment.... took 2 paces back... turned his shoulder and would not face me directly)
He then asked :
Where did you get this information?
Who told you that?
My answer - I have been doing a lot of research for quite sometime now and that remains confidential to me
His answer - (cannot remember precise words, but something along the lines of ) As i said before, it is only an algorithm which is a sequence of numbers and it is only stored in the school ...blah blah blah
Public attention diverted again....... by praising the Headmaster for doing such a wonderful job
[manufacturer's representative] asks parents to come to the front of the hall to see how the new system works...
(most parents leave the building at this point, sadly.. without even questioning a thing!?!?! some gather and talk, a small crowd goes to the front)
Manages to chat with a few parents who were asking some serious questions, so I gave them some print offs of LTKA 's 10 questions.
Showed one parent a copy of the EDM686, he knew Greg Mulholland, we swapped email addresses. Mentioned that I was so angry that I had better not go to the front, or I would completely loose my temper. He agreed to stay on and ask further questions.
(This parent later confirmed - that the headmaster did a runner!)
Before leaving, I spoke with another parent who had approached the Headmaster after the talks. She told him that she did not agree with it and would be putting her child onto packed lunches. Headmasters response was that is was compulsory for all children. Anyone who did not comply would not be allowed to attend school.
Less than 24 hours later, all kids are rounded up for mug shots and fingerprints. (possibly eye scanned too!... although waiting
further confirmation on this)
My 11 year old refused and said that he wasn't allowed to, because his mum had said NO!
The men from ggggggggg asked him:
What are you going to do when you need to eat?
his reply "oh I'm going onto a packed lunches"
(no word or hassle from the school.......as of yet... but my son has already experienced some hassle from kids who have already complied) but he's still ok..
Then tonight completely out of the blue!... I had a telephone conversation with a very bright young girl who also attends this school.
She refused to have her fingerprints taken, as did her friend. (Their human rights decision - she said) They have also heard of a few others who have refused too.
They didn't agree with the way that the system had been sneaked into school and with no parental consent form. They were very scared, yet refused to cooperate. They were then threatened with the isolation unit, no school trips and wouldn't be allowed to enter
into the school without the prints.
(Not even allowed to go to the toilet - but I really do need some further confirmation! - as this may just simply be kids rumours)
But.... my point is, they still refused! The girl said that many of her friends were very scared, they didn't like it and didn't want to have it done, yet they were still bullied into it (........ including her younger brother)
She said that they rounded up the kids like sheep for the slaughter, doing all the youngest first. The teenagers who are in their final year of school are going to be fingerprinted tomorrow. (14/09/2007) She also mentioned that apart from the science teachers, all the other teachers were completely in the dark about what was going on.
Courageous kids eh? bless em :-)
And this cashless system is supposed to 'prevent 'bullying eh?... the schools implementation of this scheme, in itself, raises some very serious questions!
I advised the girl to go to the LTKA site, ask her mum to read through all of the available information so that they could be more fully informed to make their own minds up about what is happening. Also mentioned the link to Pippa's Biometrics in School blog and the link for the MP's EDM 686
So far we can now estimate 6 perhaps 7 kids who have refused......
We are not alone :-) its early days...but feel that soon.... you may well be receiving some more emails....
Will keep you informed
All the best
[name and address of parent supplied to LTKA]
PS - prior to the meeting, I tried to make 16 different phone calls to the school to ask further questions ( But on each occasion only a voice recording........ which was then cut off.....)
I opted for this school because it didn't use biometrics & there was absolutely no mention about this at the opening evening either!
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