School in California decides to make elementary school students wear RFIDs *Updated*

[Angcuru]

This idea is going just a weeee bit too far. Schools are secure enough as it is. The only violence perpetrated inside of schools is by students against teachers and other students. Knowing exactly where they are isn't going to do JACK in terms of keeping them safe. They don't even mention the strain this thing would have on the school's budget. You think those tags are going to moniter themselves? Spend this money on new books and improving the school overall. While I was in high school, two budgets were passed for my district 90% of the first went to teacher salaries, as well as 80% of the second. Did we see a single new book? No. I went through my history classes witha book that still had the Soviet Union on the world map. The bathrooms were in horrible shape, NOONE used them for fear of infection or personal injury. Fully half of the desks were missing at least one of those little footpad thingies, causing them to teeter back and forth. A year after I graduated, there was both a huge gas leak and a plumbing burst on both floors, causing the school to be shut down for weeks on both occasions. Were this suggested in my school district and passed, I would have transferred to a nearby Catholic School, and those of you who know me well know how much THAT is saying.

And kids don't have the rights that adults do for a damn good reason: they aren't paying taxes. They're getting a FREE education, courtesy of Jon Doe taxpayer. Also, how often do you meet a grade-school age kid whom you would trust with a potential national leader-deciding vote? Not often. If ever. I never have. Do they exist, yes. But they are few and far between. I wouldn't even have wanted MYSELF voting at that age, since in retrospect, I didn't know JACK. Kids these days think far too much of themselves and have NO clue what the real world is like.

/vent

 

[Darrin Drader]

What is this - some kind of trial run at a political debate at ENWorld?

 

[Ankh-Morpork Guard]

What is this - some kind of trial run at a political debate at ENWorld?

Do I get a cookie if I answer that correctly?

 

[Aristotle]

What is this - some kind of trial run at a political debate at ENWorld?

I think everyone involved did a good job of keeping the politics out of it and, more importantly, kept from letting things get personal.

 

[MonsterMash]

It does seem like a weakness that the teachers are not able to know if pupils are in class when they should be and using a RFID tag has the weaknesses and civil liberties that have already been mentioned.

Actually one thing that no-one has mentioned yet is the fact that cellphones are getting increasing capable of being used to identify the users location. This is especially true of 3rd generation handsets which have cells much closer together and handsets with built in GPS. The phone companies talk about using this to produce targetted content based on the users location. RFID tags are also being trialled by clothing retailers actually embedded into the clothing rather than just on labels in the store, so they can control stock movement and prevent theft, but are the tags disabled properly on purchase?

Admittedly no one has to have a cellphone, but this is a heads up about what else can happen.

 

[reveal]

If I could, I would have a tracking device surgically implanted in my daughter.

That's, uh. Wow. :\

 

[reveal]

If we look at this from a monetary angle, wouldn't it be a better use of taxpayers money to train the teachers to be more cautious and to recognize threats rather than on the tags?

 

[reveal]

Actually one thing that no-one has mentioned yet is the fact that cellphones are getting increasing capable of being used to identify the users location. This is especially true of 3rd generation handsets which have cells much closer together and handsets with built in GPS. The phone companies talk about using this to produce targetted content based on the users location.

You can turn off a cellphone and a lot of teachers require students to do so in the classroom. You can't turn off the RFID chip without disabling it and, apparently, that would cost the parents money to replace.

 

[EricNoah]

In my experience, this stuff tends to happen when a vocal minority over-reacts and convinces a school board that "something needs to be done about XYZ." Fortunately, there are checks and balances -- if the silent minority does in fact dislike the situation, they will speak with their votes the next time there is a school board election. So, no, I don't think this is a good situation, but my guess is if it really is as bad as it sounds it won't last long.

And no, this is not considered normal conversation for EN World. I believe as long as people keep this free of politics and personal attacks, the mods will probably keep an eye on it but let it go as long as they can.

 

[Mystery Man]

I'm with reveal on this one. The second they do this in my town, in my school, I start home-schooling my kids, or put them in a private school not funded by the state. I raise my children to be independant, thoughtful and well behaved. I don't need them tagged thanks.

edit: Parents, stay involved with your children's school. Visit as often as you can. Talk with the principal and ask questions. Things like this wouldn't ever need to happen or even be proposed.