Question to the Department for Education:

To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what her policy is on the use of finger printing of school children for identification purposes.

Some schools in England use fingerprinting for the purposes of administering payment for school meals. Biometric systems can have a number of advantages, including removing issues around lost money, reduced queueing times and reducing the stigma associated with free school meals. Many children are already familiar with this technology as used, for example, to unlock a smart phone. However, the government does not endorse any particular approach, and governing boards are responsible for the day to day running of schools.

Further information on “Protection of children's biometric information in schools” is available on our website at: http://www.education.gov.uk/aboutdfe/advice/f00218617/biometric-recognition-systems.