Time saving and efficiency

First and foremost, thank you to all of you who posted up comments on my previous blog, about the issue of implementing biometric systems in schools and colleges. Your thoughts and comments count, so please do feel free to talk more around the subject.

I wanted to move on with some of the comments you have made generally about the new registration and if it is a good/bad idea for colleges... A lot of you agreed that it would be an expensive investment that could possibly suggest that schools are not spending their money wisely. From looking at research into the company Aurora Computer Services who market the faceREGISTER product, Aurora's concept is that this biometric system reduces administrative costs (manual register entries into SIMs system). SIMs is a system which runs all the admin system of a school/college.

It would save time compared to a manual registration system, would it make you rethink this service as a more effective method, giving colleges admin offices more time to spend on other tasks?

I feel that it would make a real difference and would make the running of colleges and sixth forms more efficient.

Please comment...

Are our schools heading towards an age of biometrical registration?

First of all, I'd like to talk about the issue of new technological systems in colleges and schools around the UK.

Many of you may know that this year the CIPR (Chartered Institute of Public Relations) Pride awards in the South gave a prestigious Gold award to Livewire PR’s campaign to promote biometrics, ‘Changing the face of student registration in UK colleges.’ (http://www.ciprawards.com)

Biometric technologies is a system used to register students by identifying human body characteristics such as fingerprints and facial structure. 'faceREGISTER' will take the form of touch-screens in colleges and sixth forms replacing student cards and paper registration.

The question is: do you think that this is a good idea? Can it work for schools and colleges? Or is it just simply too risky and too expensive?

Take a look at this video (from about 15 minutes 30 seconds onwards) from Teacher’s TV online about whether or not technological systems in schools is safe and if it could highlight fears about a ‘Big Brother’ surveillance state.

My initial thoughts about biometric systems in colleges was that I hadn't heard about it being used at all and thought that it could be a risk. Schools in my local area of Bedfordshire have not yet installed this system but I hope that in time they will consider the new means of registration. It is a complicated issue and one that needs to be addressed!

What are your thoughts about schools being more tightly regulated? Would it be a worry if the system breaks down at all?

As with every issue I'll be discussing, your comments count a lot so please feel free to let me know what you think!