School uses thumbprints to register all children as part of hi-tech overhaul
A SCANNER system that reads thumbprints has been installed at a Plymouth "school of the future" during a multi-million-pound facelift.
The 1,280 pupils at Estover Community College saw the amazing technology in action as they started a new academic year this week and they said the school has got the "wow factor" with its new buildings, technology and equipment.
The Herald can reveal the school will officially change its name to Tor Bridge High on Friday, a name which pupils helped to create.
The school has become one of the few secondaries in the country to install a thumbprint scanner system which pupils can use for registration and for buying food in the new restaurant. Executive principal Graham Browne said: "It is a school of the future. There is so much technology in the new buildings.
"The fact we have a thumbprint scanner system is absolutely fantastic and shows what an amazing school this has become.
"Spaces make relationships work and enable us to create a huge variety of different learning styles.
"There was a look of awe, wonderment and glee on hundreds of faces when staff and pupils came in on Monday. It was quite emotional. There's such a buzz around the school."
A total of £39million is being pumped into the school and this summer saw the end of the first of three building "phases", meaning 80 per cent of the school is now complete.
That includes new buildings, an array of new computers, a new restaurant, new classrooms and a library.
On top of that, the pupils are in new uniforms which correspond to their "school within a school" — Tenzing, Austen, Faraday or Cade — and they also have sliding doors around the site.
Gemma Kneebone, 17, said: "When we walked in on Monday, there was a wow factor. We have never seen buildings like this."
Jack Fullard, 15, said: "There is so much technology compared to what we used to have."
Sophie Wreford, 17, said: "Everyone loves it. It's a bit sad I'll be leaving next year; I would have liked to stay on!"
Mariah Horsfield, 15, said: "Seeing the final product being constructed is exciting now."
During the summer holidays, most of the old school building was demolished. It had to work around contractors earlier in the year — and some workers are still there, working on "phase two", which includes completing a new science block.
All three phases are expected to be finished in 2012. The site will then be home to Estover Primary School, Plymbridge Children's Centre and Nursery School, the Soundhouse, Estover Library, Estover Youth Centre and part of Plymouth Hospital School.
There will also be a floodlit astroturf pitch, football and rugby pitches, new running track and cricket square, sports hall, three new games areas and a gym.
The scheme is funded by the Government's Building Schools for the Future as a one school Pathfinder programme, but has also received substantial funding from Plymouth City Council's education investment programme.
Councillor Joan Watkins, Cabinet member for children and young people, said: "Not only will it galvanise young people but we are confident these facilities will be a focal point for the community."
This autumn will see the opening of the new library and museum, which is in new buildings at the front entrance.
HOW IT WORKS
THE new thumbprint scanner system has been installed in every
classroom at Tor Bridge High, as well as in the library, restaurant and
reception desk area.
It works by pupils or staff holding their
thumb over a small scanner, often mounted on the wall near the entrance
to classrooms. The system then recognises the print.
Executive
principal Mr Browne said the prints are converted to a four-digit number
held on an internal database so that thumbprints are not held on file.
The
new high-tech system means that paper registers are now a thing of the
past. Pupils can sign into lessons by getting their thumbs scanned. That
process will identify any absences.
Mr Brown said the main
reasons for installing it were for "speed and convenience". "It means
that registration is no longer a time-consuming distraction at the start
of a lesson."
The pupils can also use the system to pay for food with their thumbs in the restaurant.
Mr
Browne said that pupils had "accounts" and parents could feed cash into
machines around the site, which went into the accounts. The pupils
could then get their thumbprint scanned when they paid for food.
Mr Browne said the reasons for this system were, again, speed and an end to the need for money to be held in school.
Parents
could also check what their child had been spending their cash on by
logging on to a "parents portal" website run by the school — and no
pupil would know who was on free school dinners and who was not any
more.
Mr Browne said: "Until I saw it working this week, I was a bit ambivalent, but now I have seen it, it's a really good system.
"It's making registration and food buying so easy.
"If I thought the fingerprints were held on the system, we wouldn't have done it — but they are not.
"There is no requirement to do so but we did inform parents about it last term."
Pupil
Sophie Wreford, 17, who was on the "student voice" team which helped
the school buildings project through the planning stages, said: "It's a
lot more efficient and exciting — and also helps us to eat healthier."
34 Comments
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by SophieWreford
Monday, November 28 2011, 12:54AM
“Oi Wg calm down it's just a scanner. I went to Tor Bridge, and commented in this article and the scanners were used simply for food and signing in to lessons. Nothing sinister.
And Steve from the oh so lovely area of Milbay, think of what you say before you write such stereotypical comments. I attended that school through year 7 to 13 and not once was there any kind of drug problem at the school. Many students go on to great things because of the incredible staff at Tor Bridge High. I am proud to have gone there as it I am now at University studying for a degree. So shut your yap hole :D”
by wg, plymouth
Thursday, September 09 2010, 5:55PM
“James good post.
It is unfortunate but people either get this or do not.
Mussolini described fascism as state corporatism and this is exactly what we are seeing here.
The children of this country are being catalogued as economic units with none of the rights of common law and Habeas Corpus enjoyed by people in the past.
I would say to you take note of what is going on and try to explain to people but do not worry about it.
Leave them to their X Factor and football.”
by james, plymouth
Thursday, September 09 2010, 11:55AM
“it amazes me how naive some of the comments are here from those who think this thumscan isnt a threat to civil liberties, this country is now running under corporate fascism with a technolgical overlay and its just going to get worse and more and more instrusive. first its thumbscans, next it will be implanted I.D. chips, and if you think im crazy google "Verichip" and see for yourself how these id implants are being rolled out in numerous countries, and of course its being heralded as a good thing but its not a good thing. wake up people, the private bankers and corporations now dictate social policy in this country and own us all and we dont even vote them in, which of course is fascism. they keep you all buisy working just to get by while they bring your children up in state schools, they dont teach your children the merits of critical thinking, but teach them just enough to press the buttons, work the machines and pay the tax.
If our rulers cared about us then the national health would still be the envy of the world as it used to be, we would still have a dental care system which served the people.
In a so called democracy the government is supposed to serve the people not the othe way around, do you really think that david cameron see's himself as a servant of the people??? dont make me laugh, his family own so much land, he serves no-one but himself and his banking masters, just like all politicians. 2 years ago a vote was taken in parliament accross all parties wether we the public should have the right to see their expenses, out of 600 members of parliament about approx 595 of the mp's voted against the bill, not surprising in view of the fact that about a year later all the dirt started to come out regarding how disgustingly corrupt and money grabbing theses pigs are.
The bankers with the help of the government crashed the ecconomy by design so that it would strip back the middle classes and allow the wealthy to buy up all the assets, this is why these recessions, and depressions constantly repeat through history. now they are coming for your pensions, now they talk about making us the slaves work till we are 70, and now they are coming for your children.
the people on this forum who say that the thumbscan data will be scrambled and unreadable are just painfully naive.
scrambled data can be unscrambled quite easily.
we live in a state with 1 surveilance camera for every 14 people, not even the dictatorship of china can make that claim. if george orwell could see how technology is being used to control society today he would scrap the book 1984 on the grounds that its tame compared to todays reality.
we would all do well to remember the saying "Power corrupts" and "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"!
what have we got in this country. millions of street cameras, thumscans in schools, talk of installing listening devices in street lights, airport full body xray scanners, un-manned aerial spy vehicles being tested by police in some of our cities, the right of the government to collect data about our emails and websearch history, mobile phone location data, electronic I.D. tags in all new passports, my god the list goes on. IBM actually made computing devices for the nazis's so they could tag, tattoo and record anyone who was jewish or otherwise an enemy of the state. technology has always been used to kill people in war and to control the behaviour of the population.
its time to wake up people and refuse to be ruled by our overlords. the bankers need to be stripped of their power and many of them belong in prison.”
by james, plymouth
Thursday, September 09 2010, 11:54AM
“it amazes me how naive some of the comments are here from those who think this thumscan isnt a threat to civil liberties, this country is now running under corporate fascism with a technolgical overlay and its just going to get worse and more and more instrusive. first its thumbscans, next it will be implanted I.D. chips, and if you think im crazy google "Verichip" and see for yourself how these id implants are being rolled out in numerous countries, and of course its being heralded as a good thing but its not a good thing. wake up people, the private bankers and corporations now dictate social policy in this country and own us all and we dont even vote them in, which of course is fascism. they keep you all buisy working just to get by while they bring your children up in state schools, they dont teach your children the merits of critical thinking, but teach them just enough to press the buttons, work the machines and pay the tax.
If our rulers cared about us then the national health would still be the envy of the world as it used to be, we would still have a dental care system which served the people.
In a so called democracy the government is supposed to serve the people not the othe way around, do you really think that david cameron see's himself as a servant of the people??? dont make me laugh, his family own so much land, he serves no-one but himself and his banking masters, just like all politicians. 2 years ago a vote was taken in parliament accross all parties wether we the public should have the right to see their expenses, out of 600 members of parliament about approx 595 of the mp's voted against the bill, not surprising in view of the fact that about a year later all the dirt started to come out regarding how disgustingly corrupt and money grabbing theses pigs are.
The bankers with the help of the government crashed the ecconomy by design so that it would strip back the middle classes and allow the wealthy to buy up all the assets, this is why these recessions, and depressions constantly repeat through history. now they are coming for your pensions, now they talk about making us the slaves work till we are 70, and now they are coming for your children.
the people on this forum who say that the thumbscan data will be scrambled and unreadable are just painfully naive.
scrambled data can be unscrambled quite easily.
we live in a state with 1 surveilance camera for every 14 people, not even the dictatorship of china can make that claim. if george orwell could see how technology is being used to control society today he would scrap the book 1984 on the grounds that its tame compared to todays reality.
we would all do well to remember the saying "Power corrupts" and "Absolute power corrupts absolutely"!
what have we got in this country. millions of street cameras, thumscans in schools, talk of installing listening devices in street lights, airport full body xray scanners, un-manned aerial spy vehicles being tested by police in some of our cities, the right of the government to collect data about our emails and websearch history, mobile phone location data, electronic I.D. tags in all new passports, my god the list goes on. IBM actually made computing devices for the nazis's so they could tag, tattoo and record anyone who was jewish or otherwise an enemy of the state. technology has always been used to kill people in war and to control the behaviour of the population.
its time to wake up people and refuse to be ruled by our overlords. the bankers need to be stripped of their power and many of them belong in prison.”
by mark, torbay
Thursday, September 09 2010, 12:08AM
“if they are so advanced then why don't they have a thumb print scanner at the students desk instead of just one at the entrance which will slow the entrance of everybody through the doors. Not exactly that state of the art but its a start iguess”
by wg, plymouth
Wednesday, September 08 2010, 9:59PM
“Thank you for explaining that Big Brother Everywhere.
I am still not convinced but it does not matter. You either believe in a childs personal and private integrity or you do not. You either believe it is ok to fingerprint children or you do not.
I find it unnecessary and intrusive and disturbing. But then I was brought up in a different age.”
by A parent, plymouth
Wednesday, September 08 2010, 9:43PM
“I cannot believe how many small minded, negative people are commenting on this. At a time when there are so many awful things happening not only around the world but to the children of this city, you would think that we would welcome this fantastic new facility instead of pulling apart and criticising it. Years of hard work and planning have gone in to providing our future workforce with some of the best learning facilities in the country. As a parent, I am extremely proud that my child attends this facility, despite it not being our catchment school. My son chose this school, because it offered the complete package, where children are not just a number. The students and staff are an absolute credit to this school and I for one am very proud to be a part of this school community. Instead of criticising, lets be proud of what we are offering the children of this city!!!!!”
by Big Brother, Everywhere
Wednesday, September 08 2010, 9:24PM
“OK .. To explain how it works ..
Student scans fingerprint >> this is then converted into 4digit code which IS linked to their name/student account>> the system recognises this code and takes adds money accordingly. It is a ONE-WAY process. The four digit code CANNOT be converted back into a Thumbprint .. it really is just a quick way of registering kids and getting them their dinner.”
by Ian, St Blazey ;)
Wednesday, September 08 2010, 9:16PM
“Its funny how all of you talk about Estover students and finger prints being sinister. The thumbprint is not held in the system, it is changed into a four digit code as stated in the article. It is pretty useless to the Police! I'm glad i'm an ex-Estover student and can actually read and undertstand this article. These are very mindless and negative comments from people who are clueless about the students from the school!
How have I managed to write all this while high on smack? Pretty clever !!!”
by L, Plymouth
Wednesday, September 08 2010, 9:14PM
“@Steve, Milbay - How stereotypical looked around Milbay recently Steve? Not one of the nicest places is it now ?!?! Just because people in and around Estover may take drugs doesn't necessarily mean that the students do.”