Coming to an Elementary school near you?

RFID tagging/tracking of children…

http://aolsvc.news.aol.com/news/article.adp?id=20050209185309990010

Last year, A company to come out to talk about this to the Brambleton technology group. The purpose for the meeting was to discuss implementing it at the new elementary school that currently being built. As was the case at the school in the article, this has not been announced or mentioned to the affected community. I do not know the status of it in Brambleton's elementary school, but it looks like something that will start popping up in elementary schools everywhere without much public debate, input or even knowledge of until its being rolled out.

 

Nothing wrong with that, as long as they take off the badge/clip/whatever when they leave school.

 

and opt out

 

Hmmm ... for elementary school kids, I don't see it as an 'invasion of privacy', I look at it as a 'safety enhancement'.

If the system is setup to set off alarms when a child is removed from the school without permission, I'd say that is a good thing.

Besides ... when I was in elementary school 'having a right to privacy' was unknown. They could look at anything they wanted to .. why, because they were the teachers, you were the student. They got your respect, they taught you and failed you when you did not perform. No 'grading curves', no threats by parents to 'have your job' because their kid got an 'F' for not doing the work.

Sorry ... the topics today just bring out the curmudgeon in me !!

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

and didn't you have to walk 3 miles to school in the snow; uphill; both ways? carrying those stone tablets they used for books?[}]

 

BOOKS .. you had books ... why I had to slog 5 miles throught the mud, to get .... (a tip of the hat to Monty Python).

Neil Z.
Resident since 1999

 

I agree...what privacy? I heard a Pastor once say...kids can have their privacy but as a parent you reserve the right to search through their things when you want. I think the teachers should be able to reserve the right as well. The more things known, the less chance of another Columbine happening!

 

This article is from, where else, CA. Where it's more important to protect the privacy of one individual than expose something that could harm one or many. This upsets me greatly when the parents are more worried about privacy than their children learning to read, write and do arithmetic!
I have two small children and when they are in school, I'll expect that they stay in school and I'll expect that their privacy is severly limited. I agree with nielz that when I was in school, I was there to learn and the teachers did, and should, have some authority. I used to basically fear the principle of high school. To me that's a good thing. It means I had learned something about authority. If teachers are expected act as parents during the school day (and, good or bad, they are), then they should have some power and not be pushed around by the students or the parents. Now I'm sure that some teacher may abuse this, but my guess is that they'll be found out and dealt with. If my kids are doing something bad or illegal, you're darn right that I'll want them to be caught. Then we can deal with it as opposed to being ignorant. And if my child leaves the school premises for whatever reason, I think it's better that I know so I can act early.