Ever joked about putting a chip in your kid to keep tabs on them? Well, joke no more. In Brazil, this watchdog tactic might soon become a reality for a school district struggling to reduce truancy.
Computer chips known as "intelligent uniforms" will be embedded in the shirts of the student uniforms, to track a student's every move for both parents and schools.
About 20,000 students aged between 4 and 14 in the city of Vitoria da Conquista will be wearing the microchips in their clothing by next year, according to the BBC News.
"We noticed that many parents would bring their children to school but would not see if they actually entered the building because they always left in a hurry to get to work," said Coriolano Moraes, the city's education director.
Not only will parents receive a text message when their children arrive at school, they will get further texts if the child is late after 20 minutes, stating "Your child has still not arrived at school."
The whole idea of tracking chips isn't new. Japan initiated a similar program several years ago, and the U.S. ultimately abandonment plans due to the privacy concerns. This after the FDA approved the Veri-Chip for humans, to be embedded underneath the skin.
Apparently the uniforms require no special care, and the chips are said to be 'tamper proof.'
Do you agree with the idea of 'tagging' children, or is it a violation of their basic rights? Should they learn lessons about responsibility and punctuality the old-fashioned way, through trial and error?
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