Internet users question school's move to track students

Netizens have raised questions about possible violation of privacy after a high school in Guangdong province asked its students to wear smart wristbands that can track their whereabouts.

Guangdong Guangya High School purchased 3,500 smart wristbands in 2018 as part of its efforts to let students enjoy a more intelligent campus life, the school said in a statement on Tuesday.

Since the province has adopted a new reform to the National College Entrance Examination last year, students are allowed to choose three subjects from a total of six as optional courses, in addition to three compulsory courses of Chinese, math and English. The wristbands were introduced to make sure the students could get the latest schedule of their optional courses, according to the statement.

The wristbands can also help to monitor students’ health during physical exercise and be used to buy food and borrow books from the library, the statement said.

The school is still seeking opinions of students, parents and experts to make better use of the wristband, it said.

Previously, schools in Guizhou province and the Guangxi Zhuang autonomous region began using “smart uniforms” embedded with GPS trackers to make sure students do not skip class and to assure parents of their children’s attendance and safety.

Nine schools in Guizhou and two in Guangxi have introduced the uniforms, which were developed by Guiyang-based tech firm Guizhou Guanyu Technology. The company said in a statement that when students enter the school, the time and date is recorded along with a short video that parents can access via a mobile app. Facial recognition further ensures that each uniform is worn by its rightful owner to prevent students from cheating the system.
Skipping classes triggers an alarm to inform teachers and parents of the truancy, while an automatic voice alarm activates if a student walks out of school without permission, it said.