WASHINGTON – Some schools are finding a high tech way to track the whereabouts of students.
Radio frequency identification device chips have been used to monitor cattle in Texas, but now school districts in Houston and San Antonio are using the devices to register the movements of students. The chips are embedded in student ID cards.
Privacy and civil liberties groups are wary of the electronic chips, Wired reports. Some health advocates also complain the chips emit electromagnetic radiation that could have an impact on human health.
When a school in Sacramento, Calif. tried to used them, there was an uproar from parents. But schools using the chips insist they’re safe. Supporters of the chips say they’re good for safety and only track students’ movements when they’re at school.
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