Should schools be able to track students?

L

Larry T. Spider

1,000+ Posts
A federal judge ruled that a school (Jay in SA) can use chips in the student's ID badge (I think) to track them within the walls of the school. It seems a little creepy to me but I don't think high school students have a right to privacy as far as their location within the building during school hours. Of course, it all goes back to money.
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only if they use to realize that my kid is in the freaking office or in the bathroom and stop counting him absent
mad.gif
 
I'm not particularly sympathetic to these students' rights cases, but I think this particular ruling is terrible. You don't lose all your rights just because you enter a schoolhouse. So long as the student's conduct isn't substantially interfering with appropriate discipline in the operation of the school or with the rights of others in the school, the student doesn't lose any rights by going to school.

It's not disruptive, and it's not the school's business which stall a kid happens to be taking a **** in or a 15-year old girl might be changing her tampon in. I'm all for more disciplined schools and even believe in corporal punishment, but this is way over the line and puts us on a very slippery and dangerous slope.
 
Slippery slope for sure.

If a student is required to be in a certain classroom at a certain time, that is a behavior issue and we have long-standing methods for dealing with that. What problem is addressed in this case by tracking a specific location within the building?

We pulled our boys out of public school several years ago, and this is just further evidence that our public education system is unhinged.
 
I don't have a problem with this. I am not sure that it is worth the expense, but I track my kid with her cell phone all the time. She knows I am doing this and doesn't care. I am not sure what the privacy concerns would even be on school grounds.
 
Its a money issue. If the kids aren't in class when attendance is taken, they are counted absent. The district was losing out on money since funding is tied to attendance. Still not the best solution, but its always about the money.
 
The more I think about it, especially after Paso's remarks...One thing for a parent but for complete strangers to follow your daughter?

So you wouldn't mind that anybody who has access to this system will know your daughters daily habits when she is on or near campus?

It could be a teacher, security guard, IT Manager, anybody who can hack into a school computer, the Software manufacturer, the chip manufacturer.......

That is too many people knowing and following her for my taste......
 
I just don't care on the school campus. It sounds like a waste of money though.

I am assuming that this is an RFID type tag not some gps device. I would have a problem with a gps device.
 
I thought this was an on campus device, which I support. Off campus, I am tracking my kid already.I would not support anything goes beyond school boundaries.
 
We agree. This is sort of scary. I guess in my mind I want the school to know where my kid is when she is on school grounds. I don't get the privacy concerns with this and I consider myself to be fairly libertarian on matters like this.

An RFID tag is no big deal and it doesn't work without receiving equipment that nobody other than a school would purchase. If somebody wants to hack in to see the inane daily wanderings of a 12 year old girl, have at it. I understand the school wanting to count every kid present and keep tabs on ditching class.

I still question the cost effectiveness, but I don't know the numbers on how much this would cost and how much it would "save".
 
In a school that is being administered properly, I hardly think this sort of thing is necessary. Standard, old school procedures--if they are applied consistently--work just fine. I've seen it done badly and I've seen it done well, and the only difference was in how consistently the admin stuck to its own rules.
 
Very true Coel. It works the same way as far as classroom behavior. It's amazing how fast even very young students from a rough neighborhood learn to do things the right way when it is consistently expected and rewarded (or punished when expectations are not met). I've worked at a school with inconsistent administrators in a better part of town. Much much worse student behavior.
 
As Coel and Larry T. point out there are reasonable cost effective solutions that have worked.

But like so many other gov't institutions they see the solution as one that calls for mORE money
 
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