Schools in China are creating uniforms with tracking chips in order to keep a close eye on their pupils.
So far, more than 10 schools in Guizhou province and Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region have adopted the ‘intelligent uniforms’
Lin Zongwu, principal at No 11 School of Renhuai in Guizhou province, told the Global Times the uniforms allow schools to receive accurate timing of a student’s entry and exit time.
The data is also sent to parents.
If students are found leaving school early, an automatic voice alarm sounds. The alarm also sounds if a student swaps uniforms due to facial recognition on the school’s doors.
The uniforms are made by Guizhou Guanyu Technology Company.
Yuan Bichang, the company’s project manager, said the chips can endure over 500 washes and temperatures of 150C.
The location tracking also works outside of school hours.
However Mr Zongwu says the school would only use the tracking outside of school hours if a student were to go missing.
He told the Global Times that attendance had risen since the introduction of the uniforms.
It isn’t the first time that technology has been used in China to keep an eye on students while they are at school.
In May it was revealed that a school in Hangzhou had installed cameras so that students’ attentiveness in class could be measured.
Teachers were able to monitor if students fell asleep during class.
