School backed over fingerprint scheme

But Stourbridge MP Margot James that parents' views will be considered after some said they were concerned about the move.

Redhill School in Stourbridge will bring in the controversial technology as part of a plan to implement a cashless system throughout the school. It will be used in the canteen to help cut queue times with pupils not having to pay and will also tell students what food options youngsters are going for.

It comes as some schools other parts of the Black Country, including Dudley and Wolverhampton, have trialled the scheme.

The system requires pupils to press a finger against a machine which converts the print into biometric data.

This can then be used to identify individual pupils accounts.

The 1,200-pupil school in Junction Road detailed its plans in a letter to parents last month.

Ms James said: "Redhill is ahead of the game with this kind of technology.

"I gather some parents are a little alarmed with having their child's fingerprints taken but provided parents are comfortable with the scheme then I'm ok with it."

Dudley's Conservative opposition spokesman for children's services, Councillor Glenis Simms, added she did have some concerns over the scheme.

"I can see the benefits e.g admin being easier for school, money not being lost by children etc, but I also have some concerns over what may be seen as another form of 'big brother' surveillance on us all as we go about our daily life," she added.

"I would want assurances that fingerprint data is destroyed when a child leaves the school and is not used for any other form of data gathering.

"I also feel that there should be an alternative system for those who do not want to partake, such as a PIN number or swipe card if the system is going completely cashless."

Parent Abdul Qadus, whose 12-year-old daughter goes to the school, said: "I do have concerns over it and I want to seek some assurances from the school this week."

Headteacher Stephen Dunster said the school had consulted parents.

Around half of Dudley's secondary schools use some form of biometric system. Mr Dunster added: "We don't hold fingerprints on file. This is about using technology to benefit our pupils and parents."

A similar biometric system is already in place in the school's library.