Re: Student Tracking Devices

Forgive me for not reading the link, but from what you posted it sounds to me like they are discussing using GPS monitoring for children who already have a history of truancy and possible criminal behaviors (when they should have been in school). Rather than put these children in prison, they want to try to keep them in school and monitor them. This would be very different than using GPS monitoring on any random student.

Still, I am uncomfortable with this kind of monitoring. Would it really be that difficult to have the student report to a counselor a couple of times a day? Would it be that difficult for teachers to keep track of who is in class and who is not? Children that skip school and act out are usually children who are neglected at home. They are not given enough love or attention, and thus they behave in (negative) ways that will draw attention to them.

Stories like this bother me, because they do not seem to care about the children at all (despite the cry "It's for the children!"). They do not care what the children think and feel. They make no attempts to reach out to the children and find out what is really bothering and hurting them.

No. Society would rather find a "quick fix", which does not even begin to address the real roots of the problems these children have. Thus, the problem will remain and more children will continue to be neglected, ignored and treated as second class citizens. Damn, that bothers me.

When will some common sense prevail?

Laterz.