Parents told to stop using tracking devices on their children during school trips
A headteacher has warned parents not to put tracking devices on their children for school trips, claiming it is a "breach of privacy" for other pupils and could pose a "safeguarding danger".
Ellen Taylor, of Whitstable and Seasalter Endowed C of E Primary School in Kent, wrote to parents after discovering that some had been attaching digital trackers to students.
She explained that doing so could put certain pupils at risk as it could reveal their location to "prohibited people".
The letter explained this is a new problem, which has only recently arisen.
"We have become aware of a situation that has never happened in previous years that we need to address with our families," Taylor’s letter said.
"This is not permitted or appropriate and poses a safeguarding risk for the whole group.
"The use of digital tracking is a breach of privacy for the other children in the party.
"You may be unwittingly sharing information that may go against court orders or social services protection plans that you would most likely not be aware of.
"You may also be alerting prohibited persons to the specific live location of another child in the group which could potentially put the whole group at risk."
Taylor said she understood parenting wanting to keep their children safe, but asked them to trust the school – which is rated outstanding – and its staff.
The letter attempted to reassure parents by outlining the school's safeguarding policies on trips.
"We always take the recommended number of supervising adults and obviously our own school staff are all DBS-checked and trained in keeping children safe and are known and trusted by them," Taylor wrote.
"They do not leave our supervision at any point, therefore minimising any risk of children going missing.
"In addition to this, any delay in return times is communicated with the school as well as directly with parents, if necessary."
Taylor also said the trackers were "inappropriate" and "unnecessary", adding that monitoring "every movement hinders a child’s freedom and spirit of adventure".
According to a UK survey of 4,000 parents/guardians back in 2019, around 40% of parents/carers used real-time GPS location tracking on their children on a daily basis, with 15% saying they checked where their children were 'constantly'.
Many parents find trackers useful if their child walks home alone from school or as a way to check their teen is where they claim to be at the weekend.
Taylor acknowledged the popularity of trackers and their appeal for parents. "Whilst I fully understand that the use of tracking devices by parents has most likely been a well-meaning result of wanting to ensure your child’s safety, and is tempting in today’s technology-driven society, I hope you can understand the reasons we have given for why we must insist that this does not happen again."
Small digital trackers are regularly advertised on social media sites such as TikTok. Some are listed as GPS-based, but instead work via Bluetooth.
A Kent County Council spokesman confirmed it supported the school’s policy, saying, "We would not expect trackers to be used for directly supervised visits, such as those carried out by primary schools.
"Teachers will have carried out risk assessments, and they are in direct control and have sight of their pupils during school trips."
Reporting by SWNS.
Read more on schools:
What Ofsted's new school report system means for parents (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
Four key skills a child should be able to do before starting school (Yahoo Life UK, 7-min read)
How to keep children safe around mobile phones as schools could ban them (Yahoo Life UK, 5-min read)
