Child's school asking for biometric data

[DyslexiaNightmare]

Fingerprint data and facial recognition. Is this widespread? How is it even allowed? Children can't consent to giving biometric data. It's not for me to give away. Even if it is to a school.

How difficult will it make things due to the fact that I'm not consenting to this?

Is it for paying for meals?

It’s almost every school I think. Not sure how they pay for lunches etc without it.

I have no idea the form doesn't say.

At my dcs school they use their finger print to pay for meals.

As others have said it's very common now and removes any issues of kids bringing cash or contactless cards on site. The legalities have been discussed before I believe but I can't recall the details.

It’s generally because they use fingerprint to access their lunch account. I’m not sure what that do if you say no. I don’t think there’s an alternative system to pay.

Yes they can request your DC provides a fingerprint to pay for meals but you can refuse. Pretty sure they then have to provide you with an alternative way to pay. I declined for my DC.

There will be a policy on the school website to cover the storage of the information. As others say it's standard as it's for payment of lunch.

Is your dc starting school on September?

I looked it up out of interest, they do have to provide an alternative way to pay. I don’t know what this would be as schools are mostly cashless now?

Did they ask for facial recognition or just fingerprint? Almost all schools use it now for the canteen.

I declined for my daughter, they gave her a dinner card instead which I can top up online or she can top up at school in cash!
First few weeks of starting school she was the only one who could get her food no problem as the finger print scanner didn't work for everyone who consented to biometrics.

Can't remember the exact wording on the form as it was nearly a year ago but it stated third parties could use the data from the biometrics. Erm no.

They asked for both.

Some schools use it to register, use the library etc apparently. Our school it’s just lunches.

Our school uses this. It is not a full fingerprint, rather it uses 6 measurements from it. In our school, parents can refuse consent and the student is issued with a PIN instead. Fingerprint is faster in the canteen, but not by much. Teachers use it too but mine never works so I have to give my name on the rare occasions I buy any food there.

I wonder what the facial recognition bit is for then

I declined and my child has a pin instead.

Sorry, no idea. All students are photographed and their photo is uploaded to the information management system (crap inferior SIMs copy). Photos of kids with epi-pens or serious health conditions are pinned up in the staff room, and when you take over a class, it is really helpful to have photos. However, we don't use any other facial recognition.

Our school used biometrics but as PP said it was a couple of measurements and the data stayed within the school system.

I found it pretty gross really, students rarely wash their hands when they have coughs and sneezes even after covid and 100s of students are touching the same scanner then eating their food.

Our scanners are wiped with sanitiser between students.

A school I worked at previously had photos of the students attached to their lunch money accounts to verify their identity alongside a fingerprint or PIN...

Sadly it was not uncommon for students to claim to be someone else (the tills had a name search facility but the verification photos were often very out of date and not all accounts had a picture!) and try to spend money from someone else's account.

If you're unhappy about the biometric data being stored then request that your child is issued with a PIN number for the account.

Am I showing my age and luddite-ness by thinking this is weird and wondering what it will do to the next generation to grow up thinking being fingerprinted and scanned everywhere is normal?

In my day, I can't remember at primary but at secondary we just paid cash or handed over an FSM coupon.

Also, if the reader's anything like my iPhone touch ID ... that doesn't work more often than it works for me.

Schools have been using fingerprints for years, I imagine facial recognition is just the next step

My kid's school uses fingerprints for lunches. What's the problem? I don't get it. What are schools going to do with the data used to recognise your child's fingerprint?
No idea what the facial recognition thing is for, but all kids have their school photos taken and then that photo is connected with their school account so school staff know who they are.

My DC's school uses the fingerprint for lunches so the kids don't need to bring in cash or cards. They've been using it for years.