RFID system to help track pupils? PNP floats idea

THE Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system, originally used by manufacturers to track inventories, is now in wide use for other applications, including the tracking and retrieval of medical records. But soon, if the chief of Metro Manila’s police force were to be followed, it could also be an innovative way to ensure the safety and security of students while inside the school premises.

The National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) Regional Director, Chief Supt, Roberto Rosales, made the suggestion on Monday to Metro Manila public-school superintendents and parents-teachers association (PTA) officials.

RFID is a relatively new technology that uses a device attached to an object, an identification card, for example, for purposes of identifying and tracking the person or the carrier of the object using radio waves. This object, typically referred to as an RFID tag, can be read from several meters.

RFID is now being used by some manufacturing companies in managing inventories of their products. It is also being used in some hospitals abroad to help doctors and nurses retrieve medical data of patients given an RFID device through a handheld device connected to a central server.

In a round of inspection that Rosales led on Monday morning in connection with the opening of classes for school year 2009-10, he asked school officials to consider the use of RFID to monitor the whereabouts of students while inside the campus and to prevent the entry of unauthorized individuals posing as students.

Rosales visited P. Gomez Elementary School in Sta. Cruz, Manila and Ramon Magsaysay High School where he finished his elementary and high school, respectively, and the Caloocan National High School.

Caloocan National High School, which has 9,343 students enrolled for this year, has the biggest number of students in the country, according to the Department of Education.

Rosales said NCRPO will continue to be under Full Alert Status for the next two weeks to cover the opening of classes for elementary and high school this week as well as the opening of classes for collegiate level next week.

Relatedly, Major Gamal Hayudini, commander of the 4th Civil Relations Group, Civil Relations Service of the Armed Forces of the Philippines, said students are among the primary targets of lawless groups, “especially the left-leaning organizations in their recruitment.”

Students are also at risk from kidnap-for-ransom groups, said the AFP, citing what happened in Barangay Sunrise, Isabela City, Basilan, earlier this year where a school boy was kidnapped even during peak hours of the day.

Still, the AFP and the PNP have strengthened security measures “to protect the students and the teachers” but also requested them to cooperate “with authorities against these criminals.”

The Department of Education (DepEd) on Monday said the first day of classes went on smoothly.

Still, Education Secretary Jesli Lapus said they had instructed school authorities to keep a tight watch over students for signs of the A(H1N1) virus.

Lapus said he has made the use of faucets and hand washing a daily routine for students and ordered all schools to make sure they have running water.

The DepEd and the health department have set up a response-alert system similar to that of typhoons, that would allow school authorities to suspend classes if needed.

During the weekend, the Departments of Health and Education rejected last-minute calls to suspend classes over the A (H1N1) scare, saying that doing so might cause panic and disrupt preparations for the opening of classes in 43,000 schools nationwide.

Lapus urged parents to call their “Oplan Balik Eskwela” command center at 636-1663 and text 0919-4560027 for complaints.

He said the DepEd has quick-response teams that are on call from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

As of Monday afternoon, the DepEd had received 352 queries and complaints, of which 348 were resolved. Most complaints involved the collection of fees.

During the press conference after his school inspection, Lapus reminded school authorities against collecting fees of any kind during this month. Written by Claudette Mocon / Business Mirror