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

Janet
We use a similar system for lunches at our upper site. I have my reservations, although I am told the system works well. I was not consulted on the introduction so can not say if the system causes problems. 
Before Students or Staff can get lunch you have to put money or if applicable free school meals information into the system. When you enter the dinning hall you place your thumb on a machine. Provided you have funds, free or otherwise, you go and get lunch. How they or you know how much you have spent I don't know. There is some talk about introducing a similar system for registration. I do not know if parents were consulted. I, as a member of staff, was not consequently I do not eat lunch at our upper site.
I have my concerns over possible miss use, and privacy issues, and the big brother is watching me concerns.

Mike Stroud
SENCo. Birmingham Secondary School.

-----Original Message-----
From: Janet Barlow <janet.barlow at talk21.com>
To: senco-forum <senco-forum at lists.becta.org.uk>
Sent: Mon, 5 Nov 2007 9.59am
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

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