In Texas, 28,000 students test e-tagging system

A few schools have begun monitoring students' arrivals and departures using technology similar to that used to track livestock.
The New York Times

The story "In Texas, 28,000 students test e-tagging system" published November 17, 2004 at 6:09 AM is no longer available on CNET News.

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[Jonathan]

I think not.

Good thing I'm out of school because if this crap became widespread I'd flush the god damn things. Oh Im sorry did I **** of the principal? Thanks but just because some kid is in a state run school doesnt give them the right to track your whereabouts. Big brother can suck my big ***.

[David Arbogast]

Not so bad

Huxley fans will no doubt launch the "big brother" conspiracy, but I don't think this is such a bad idea. Students are tracked anyhow... by camera and attendance record. Employees at almost every company are accounted for... some with badges, some with rfid, some with punched time-cards. Knowing where somebody is does not reduce their rights any. And a person's rights are limited in schools anyhow. I am against involuntary implants, but wearing a badge around your neck doesn't bother me one bit. Heck... students can still hang the badge in the locker and cut class... Where is the tangable loss?

[Prndll]

You are so mislead

When I punch my time card aty my job, there IS NOT a way for someone in India to know about at a click of a mouse.

[pupil82]

Good Idea

This is a good concept, but once people get to a certain age they will not do it. I say impliment it for kids up to grade 4 or 5 so at that time they should know where they live and be alittle more responsible. After those grades they will stop wearing it or break or destory on purpose.

[baggyguy1218]

Crazy

I work at a University that uses RFID smart cards. We have problems also, but over the last year or so, it has become a well oil machine. Students at first were very anti-RFID but they soon forgot about it and most of them comply. We do have alot of students forget their Cards but we deny them entry into the parking areas that use the ID code to open the gates. We feel no shame in this and it has worked out. Students rarely forget there cards, 1 out if 1000 a day.

A better way to do these things are far off, but RFID tags under the skin of our young students would be very usefull. Big Brother has no say in any of this, the parents have the right to refuse and enroll their children else where. I think it is a good idea for us to know where our students are at any point during the day, better yet its our resposibility as administrators and security directors to take these actions. Thank you.

Kids are always smarter than we think!

So what's to prevent the kids from figuring out these systems and working them to their advantage? Kids are tech savvy. They will come up with their own RFID ideas!

[cyberpoet]

Automated skipping class! Just give your ID to someone attending

Once, it was sneaking into the administrator's office and
changing grades & attendence by pencil. Years later,
sneaking into the same office to grab the password for the
mainframe, so you could make the same changes. Along
came the PC, and now it was getting access to that PC to
make the changes. This eliminates one of the requirements
-- just give the RFID card to someone you know will be
attending class and walk out. The school thinks you're
there, the attendence system thinks you're there, but
meanwhile the student is at McDonalds (or somewhere
more lurid) and no-one's the wiser. Silly administrators.

=-= The CyberPoet

E-Tagging

Doesn't anyone read the Bible anymore?
E-Tagging isn't anything more than "THE MARK OF THE BEAST" . I can't believe that there is so many people that are willing to mark thier children or themselves.