Since 1 January 2006 my Department has received 21 written communications which referred to the collection of biometric information by schools and nine phone calls on the subject.
The Department has not issued guidance to school governors on whether they should consult parents before implementing a policy of taking thumb prints for library issues. It is for each school to establish that it is acting lawfully in processing pupils’ personal data and, on a case-by-case basis, is acting in compliance with the Human Rights Act 1998 and the Data Protection Act 1998, and the common law of confidentiality. The British Educational Communications and Technology Agency (BECTA) published guidance for schools in 2004 on their obligations and responsibilities under the Data Protection Act and other related legislation.