Privacy - Snoop on pupils, teachers told
WORKERS, JAN 2007 ISSUE
For many years, schools have recorded statistics about their school population, staffing levels and so on, and reported them to their local authority and the Department for Education and Skills (DfES). This year, our centralist and intrusive government has given the data trawl a new dimension.
One of the demands of the DfES, withdrawn temporarily at the last moment, was for teachers to measure the Body Mass Index of their pupils. This information was to be attached to each child's "Unique Person Number" (used to be "pupil number") and thus entered into the central government database.
Presumably, any child not conforming to the state's ideal weight and figure would be targeted for treatment. That one is being reconfigured, no doubt to arise again in a modified form.
Schools also have to produce "travel plans for their staff and students". For 2007, they are expected to collect and collate data from parents and staff on how they travel and what type of vehicle they use – 4x4, diesel, etc. Again, this information will be attached to the pupil.