DYSON Perrins students are having their fingerprints taken ahead of the introduction of a new ‘cashless’ system for paying for meals in the school canteen.

Although the school believes the system will help deliver a faster, more efficient service at mealtimes, concerns have been raised that the system is invidious and unnecessary.

Pupils will touch a finger recognition scanner that identifies them and displays their current meal balance to canteen staff.

The school has written to parents explaining that fingerprint images cannot be used by any other sources for identification purposes.

“The system uses an image of the fingerprint to create a mathematical algorithm and then discards the fingerprint,” the letter explains. “Only the numbers remain and these cannot be reinterpreted back into a fingerprint image.”

But one mother, who has asked to remain anonymous, is refusing to let her daughter take part in the system.

“It is a lovely school that does care a lot about its pupils but I do think they are being naive over the issue of fingerprinting,” she explained. “Everything seems to be monitored nowadays. I’m not suggesting the information is going to be used for anything sinister but it seems an unnecessary invasion into privacy. I just think we are on the road to a bad thing.”

Her concerns are being championed by the national campaign group ‘Big Brother Watch’.

Campaign director Dylan Sharpe believes there is no justification for fingerprinting children.

“Once these kids have handed over their fingerprints, there is no getting them back,” he said. “Schools simply aren't equipped to store biometric data, but parents are completely unaware of the dangers of this scheme.”

The new system is set to come into effect on September 6. Collection of fingerprint images from current students and staff is now taking place and new pupils will have theirs added on the first day of next term.

Those wishing to opt out of the scheme can do so by writing to the school and will instead be issued with a pin number.

Assistant head Tim Hill said data will be totally secure and that the system has many merits, including speed, convenience and anonymity for children receiving free meals.

“This sort of system is far from uncommon,” he said. “We are probably one of the later schools to adopt it.”

Liz Eyre, Worcestershire County Council’s spokesman for children and young people, said: “A lot of schools have these systems. It is a matter for the school to decide and I would hope that the school would work with any parents that have concerns.”