Information at pupils' fingertips

Stirling High School pupils test the new biometric technology

Scottish school children are using biometric technology when ordering their school dinners.

Pupils at Stirling High School are taking part in the trial which identifies youngsters through computer readings of their fingerprints.

Stirling Council hopes the technology can be used to check whether children turn up at school.

But the Scottish Centre for Human Rights is concerned other agencies could get access to the information.

In Stirling, the system works by pupils swiping a finger on a computer.

A thermal sensor measures the ridges and valleys on the fingers and stores the information.

'Removes stigma'

It can then identify pupils by name each time they swipe.

The council believes the system is better than the swipe cards pupils currently use, especially as cards can be lost.

Margaret Gilmour, the council's catering and cleaning manager, said: "This type of system is easy to administer, removes the stigma from children who receive free school meals and it means that all children can be served quickly and easily during lunchtime."

Stirling High School headteacher Greig Ingram said pupils had enjoyed taking part in the trial.

School entry

He added: "There are a lot of benefits for seeing a scheme like this introduced as it will free up time previously spent on admin and allow more time for teaching.

"Also, the present system where children use swipe cards has its own pitfalls as they often lose their card which then needs to be replaced."

Yarg Biometrics said a swipe of the finger could also be used by children to gain entry to the school, register for classes and swipe library books in their name.