JERUSALEM, Israel — The new school year brings with it innovative (and questionable) methods of guaranteeing students' attendance as students of a Jerusalem high school found on their first day of school last week.
Pupils of the Chabad movement's Beit Hannah girls' high school in Jerusalem were surprised to find upon arrival that the school had installed a biometric fingerprint identification device.
Chabad School Fingerprints Pupils
JERUSALEM, Israel — The new school year brings with it innovative (and questionable) methods of guaranteeing students’ attendance as students of a Jerusalem high school found on their first day of school last week.
Pupils of the Chabad movement’s Beit Hannah girls’ high school in Jerusalem were surprised to find upon arrival that the school had installed a biometric fingerprint identification device.
According to reports, the educational staff has been forcing the underage students to identify themselves using this machine upon entering and exiting the school, and they were even warned that anyone trying to get out of signing in would be punished.
The school’s principal Rabbi Peretz Bloy said the new system allows more accurate inspection in the school. Up until now, teachers have been forced to stand at the gate and handle the register on their own, which would take a long time in the 370-pupil school.
The principal also argued that the new system teaches the girls maturity and responsibility, since signing in was their own responsibility.
‘Parents happy with decision’
Bloy said the parents committee agreed with the move, and that parents were pleased with the possibility of receiving a detailed report on their child’s attendance at the end of each month. The parents committee even helped in the funding of the device.
The only students who had a problem with the new device were the problematic ones, the principal said.
“It’s not fingerprinting like we see at the police stations, this is standard biometric technology that was purchased in a legitimate place,” the principal stressed.
Dr Yitzhak Kadman, executive director of the National Council for the Child told Ynet that he was very concerned with Beit Hannah’s new policy, saying it was an inappropriate method of checking attendance, adding that “the end in this case does not justify the means”.
Kadman explained that the use of such technology means the school holds a database of every girl’s fingerprints, which he said was not in line with information laws.
“Go figure who the school transfers the data to, who else is using it and for what purpose,” Kadman said.
Kadman recommended “less intrusive and offensive” methods of checking attendance, such as a magnetic card that would bring pride to the student and could even give the student discounts at certain businesses.
sick and tired
As a former student of this school I find it hard to believe that the real purpose is to make students feel responsible for themselves. In the past and until today as heard from students currently studying there, the only thing the faculty really care about is themselves.
alexi
but then one child will give his card to another to swipe for him! and he doesn’t even have to show up!
Shmuli
I think finger prints are a great way of keeping record of attendance.
The argument on "Go figure who the school transfers the data to" is in my opinion the only bad thing that can be said, but the same can be said about any record any place keeps (not just fingerprints), so that is not much of a reason not to install fingerprint machines.
Who ever worked in a place with magnetic card, knows how many people get swiped in by others!
Then the school would still need staff to stand by the machine to see if every one is swiping their own card.
Technology grows, you gotta grow with it!
rf
i agree with Dr Yitzhak Kadman. this school has got to get its act together. they have always Treated their students with disrespect, and with violation of privacy and this is another step no wonder there are many good kids that drop out of that school
An old student
CH
that kid in the picture goes to bais chana?!?!
goldie
my sis in law is in this school and she does not like it at all- she said it make her feel like a criminal.
concerned
Invasion of privacy. Dicipline gone to far!!
Teacher, leave those kids alone !!!
The administration should focus on making school exciting to come to, there shouldn’t be a reason for this crazy fingerprinting.