[senco-forum] Should I be Concerned? ( Not SEN)

It seems to be coming in all over the place as a positive means of
identification - registration at school, borrowing a book from a library,
entering a country (in USA its now all ten fingers + Iris scan I believe),
hiring a car, going to a nightclub (not that I do that of course!)

It's not so much giving the thumb print, it's what happens to data after
that really scares me.  

Alex

-----Original Message-----
From: senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk
[mailto:senco-forum-bounces at lists.becta.org.uk] On Behalf Of Janet Barlow
Sent: 05 November 2007 10:00
To: senco-forum
Subject: [senco-forum] Should I be Concerned? ( Not SEN)

Not SEN but I would welcome your thoughts.

  My sons' school has introduced a new system for borrowing books from the
school library which involves them using their thumb print - rather than
scanning in the book's bar code or an alternative system.
      I'm a bit uncomfortable about the idea - a thumb print seems to be a
step towards the 'big brother is watching you' scenario.
     I'm not sure if parents were consulted or if agreement was asked - it
may have been and I've just signed it without really thinking about
implications or it may be there was a letter which my dyslexic boys failed
to bring home or worse still there may have not been a lettter in the first
place.
     What do you feel? Has anybody any experience of such a system? Am I
being unnecessarily paranoid?
  Thanks,
  Janet