[Marilyn Cini]

In recent years, facial recognition technology has been on the rise in different industries, one of which is the deployment of the system in nine schools in North Ayrshire. The reason for such a solution is to speed up lunch payments by rapidly recognizing students, thus cutting queue lengths and the risk of possible COVID-19 transmission that comes with card or fingerprint payments. But this effort has also raised up a lot of discussions around the privacy and ethical ramifications.
Facial recognition as one of the ways students’ biometric data was captured has ushered in efficiencies in terms of reducing transaction time to an average of five seconds per student. This is particularly beneficial for large schools with many students as it improves the rate of lunch service delivery. According to North Ayrshire Council, about 97% of students or parents have agreed to this technology or its implementations. This statistic may sound great, but at what risk to the students – do they believe they are putting themselves at risk by accepting biometric surveillance?
In addition, the Department for Education has yet to put in place full oversight mechanisms on the use of facial recognition technology in the educational setting. Such absence of governance structure raises other concerns above all when gauged against the level of legal protections available for DNA and fingerprints. Environmental activists also articulated their concerns and pointed out that, equally disturbing, is the fact that as facial recognition is not encumbered with similar legal protection, there exists greater opportunities for its abuse.
The problems with facial recognition technology are further highlighted with the results of a different examination which showed an accuracy rate of only 81%. This statistic raises doubts about how dependable this technology is, especially in an education setting where the risk of making identification mistakes is costly. As more debates on the appropriateness of facial recognition in schools are currently going on, it is important to state that some cities like New York went ahead and placed a temporary ban on the technology for similar reasons.
There has been increasing and relentless use of facial recognition technology at airports and events but its increasing use in public spaces such as schools needs to be checked. The advantages of convenience should be balanced with the potential dangers that could infringe upon the pupils’ right to privacy and independence. As the proposal is actively pursued by North Ayrshire, it is necessary to implement these technologies in the right way and involve all the actors, parents, teachers and pupils.
Finally, the implementation of facial recognition technology in North Ayrshire schools is a double-edged sword that brings certainly great benefits but also some negatives. Though it has clear advantages, the questions about privacy and monitoring activities do not go away. As such technology becomes more common, an even-handed policy towards the safety and the wellbeing of the students must be adopted to ensure a conducive educational culture.

My opinion
Using facial recognition technology raises a few privacy and ethical issues when used in schools. Facial recognition may make lunch payments, for example, more efficient but its consequences on the children must be considered. Perhaps many young pupils do not comprehend the significance of their faces being monitored constantly and this might sound

[Marilyn Cini]

My opinion
Using facial recognition technology raises a few privacy and ethical issues when used in schools. Facial recognition may make lunch payments, for example, more efficient but its consequences on the children must be considered. Perhaps many young pupils do not comprehend the significance of their faces being monitored constantly and this might sound intrusive to them. These concerns must be taken into consideration beforehand to prevent these problems arising during or after the use of this technology.

[Tutor]

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