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Government releases child fingerprinting guidelines

The British Education Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) has released guidelines on child fingerprinting in schools. The government's focus has been solely on data protection issues whist disregarding whether it is morally acceptable for a society to allow widespread fingerprinting of children.

The guidelines state: "There is nothing explicit in the Data Protection Act to require schools to seek the consent of parents before implementing a biometric technology system." The guidelines do suggest though that: "Whilst consent is not required for all processing of personal data, schools should normally involve pupils and parents in their decisions to use biometric technologies as is the case with other decisions made during the school life of children."

The Information commissioner has released a statement that says issues such as consent or whether biometrics will soften up a future generation to such technologies "while raising wider questions of public attitude and public policy, are not specifically data protection issues".

Read the guidance at http://tinyurl.com/ytoqnv

Read the Information Commissioner's statement at http://tinyurl.com/3529e5

International Baccalaureate hits the headlines

Last week’s speech by Tony Blair outlining a vision of post GCSE education in which the International Baccalaureate Diploma plays a significant role caught some by surprise. From the outset the government has set its stall out as a pro education administration. GCSE grades have increased steadily, albeit controversially, and the focus on A levels as a world wide gold standard for post 16/pre-university qualification has continued to be the received wisdom.

However, in his speech last week Tony Blair offered an option to ‘A’ levels, the International Baccaluareate. The speech seemed to acknowledge that perhaps, the ‘A’ level could no longer have a clear claim to be the Gold Standard.

Pills, Thrills and Automobiles - or driving and drugs don't mix!

The Ape Theatre Company, sponsored by KCC Road Safety, came to the Queens Hall on the afternoon of December 5th to present their play "Pills, Thrills and Automobiles" to the whole of the sixth form. Pills, Thrills and Automobiles gives a hard hitting presentation about the risks involved with driving while tired and under the influence of drugs. The play is based on a true event which occurred near Brighton in 1997, and it involves four young actors who take all the parts in the play - teenagers, parents, police, medical staff and others. The play introduces four teenagers; normal, bright and fun loving people who decide to go off to a music festival for the weekend, and who have an horrific crash on the motorway on the way home. The main characters are Janie, Vicky, Johnnie and Jez. We meet their parents (cleverly portrayed by the same actors!) and see all the normal parent / teenagers interactions, such as nagging about time keeping and the state of the bedroom, plus the "white lies" that teenagers tell about things like smoking and drugs. As the four move onto college they leave home and share a flat together.