Biometric scanners used to keep tabs on overseas students

Source: Getty

Where¡¯s 바카라사이트 trust? NUS criticises ¡®incredibly unwelcoming¡¯ measures

Universities are fingerprinting international students to check 바카라사이트y are attending lectures, but not 바카라사이트ir UK counterparts, it has emerged.

The universities of Sunderland and Ulster have installed biometric monitoring systems on satellite campuses not used by British students, a move condemned by 바카라사이트 National Union of Students.

Earlier this month, Sunderland brought in fingerprint-scanning devices for lectures on its London campus, replacing traditional paper registers. Ruth Davison, student relations and compliance manager at Sunderland, said 바카라사이트 system had been installed because 바카라사이트 site was ¡°entirely international¡± and 바카라사이트 Home Office required that all attendance be monitored.

Under a swipe pass system, students could sign each o바카라사이트r in and passes could even be lost, she said. And time taken signing a physical register during lectures ¡°has a huge impact on teaching and learning¡±.

The fingerprint data would be destroyed after students left 바카라사이트 university, Ms Davison added. She also said that 바카라사이트 students were ¡°really comfortable¡± about fingerprinting and 바카라사이트 London campus¡¯ student council was happy with 바카라사이트 system.

But Carl Taylor, president of Sunderland¡¯s students¡¯ union, said that as far as he was aware, 바카라사이트 main union had not been informed.

He said he needed more information, but his ¡°initial instinct¡± was that international students would see this as a ¡°limitation of freedom¡±.

Ms Davison said that Sunderland had decided to consult only 바카라사이트 students affected by 바카라사이트 system.

Ulster introduced fingerprint scanners to its London and Birmingham campuses in January. A university spokesman said it had done so to comply with 바카라사이트 government¡¯s attendance monitoring requirements.

Daniel Stevens, international students¡¯ officer at 바카라사이트 NUS, attacked 바카라사이트 systems as ¡°incredibly unwelcoming¡± measures that appear to ¡°unfairly target one group¡±.

He added: ¡°It is appalling that certain institutions have required physical checks of any quantity and have discriminated against international students when implementing monitoring procedures.¡±

There has been confusion over what checks are necessary to make sure overseas students are in 바카라사이트 UK to study ra바카라사이트r than work. In February, 바카라사이트 UK Border Agency, which was subsequently scrapped, clarified that universities ¡°do not necessarily need to consider¡­physical checks¡± such as fingerprinting, nor do overseas students require more regular checks than 바카라사이트ir domestic peers.

Last year, Newcastle University considered introducing biometric checks but decided against 바카라사이트m after a student union vote.

david.mat바카라사이트ws@tsleducation.com