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2018/19: Should facial recognition cameras be used in schools?





Introduction to the media issue

Video clip at right: On October 6, 2018, NBC News televised a report on the use of facial recognition cameras in St Theresa's School in Seattle.


What they said...
'Data can perhaps be used to discover learning strengths and areas of concern, enabling more tailored learning experiences that can lead each student to better outcomes'
An education technology company explaining how in-class facial recognition monitoring of students can assist their learning

'This takes away a huge sense of freedom for these children'
Dr Niels Wouters, of the Microsoft Research Centre for Social Natural User Interfaces at the University of Melbourne

The issue at a glance
On October 5, 2018, it was reported that Victoria's Education Minister, James Merlino, had directed the Education Department to assess immediately the facial recognition software currently being trialled in some Victorian private schools. He also asked the Department to contact every Victorian state school to remind them that they must undertake a privacy impact assessment before considering the software.
The software was due to be trialled in some Victorian state schools; however, the Minister's statement appears to have delayed this process.
In August, 2018, it was reported that facial recognition technology, used for roll marking, was being trialled by a small number of Victorian private schools.
On February 14, 2018, seventeen students were killed in a school shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School, Parkland, Florida. These deaths appear to have provided a significant impetus for the trial or uptake of facial recognition systems by schools in the United States that are intended to increase the safety of students.
Reports have also been published of schools in China, and one business college in France, using facial recognition technology to monitor student engagement.
All these uses of the technology have convinced advocates and critics anxious about their privacy and other implications.