Schools Fingerprinting Students

This article explains new technology to be used in school lunch rooms. The technology would allow a scanner to identify a kid qualified for lunch with the swipe of a finger, moving him or her quickly along the line. This technology would replace old-fashioned key pads or swipe systems. It would also add extra time to kids lunch time since there would be little hold up at the end of the line.

However, take a child's fingerprint, or anyone for that matter, is an invasion of privacy. Many parents are outraged by this new technology, and they refuse to allow school systems to use it. The parents are afraid what could happen with such invasive information on their children. Many fear it will be used in the wrong hands or will later be used against there child.

Though the USA is advancing technology in many areas there are many times one must consider the ethical issue of invading another individual's privacy. This new technology would be keeping records of children’s’ fingerprints in there systems in the same way they keep files on all students. There is no way to tell if this information could be used against them later in life. For example, during police investigation they could obtain these fingerprints in the same way they obtain student records. Furthermore, there are many individuals, who could hack into this system. There is no guarantee these students private information will not be leaked out in the public.

Obtaining children's fingerprints to add an extra 10 or so minutes to lunch time is not enough reason to invade their privacy. Furthermore, this technology would add extra expenses to the school. The technology does not cut down the staff needed in a lunch room. The schools are better off adding extra time to students' lunch period rather than instituting invasive technology.