Your kiddo may not have an actual big brother, but in Sweden, she could have a virtual one.
The Associated Press reports that child care facilities in the Scandinavian nation have started using GPS systems and other electronic tracking devices to keep track of the little ones during supervised excursions.
Parents are concerned that the e-tracking is being used as a substitute for daycare staff, and ethicists wonder if it's good for kids to be Lojacked when they're barely out of training pants.
Monica Blank-Hedqvist, principal of a center in Borlange was quoted as saying that the devices, used during chaperoned walks in the forest, have "been only positive for us." She goes on to point out that the GPS devices are used as extra security by three preschool teachers watching about 20 children, to quickly discover if one has wandered away.
A spokesperson from Purple Scout, makers of a GPS tracking device, said the technology should be seen as a complement to staff at daycare centers, not a replacement. The system does not, according to the company, store any personal information.
The company has received orders from dozens of private childcare facilities in Sweden, the spokesperson added.
Would you be OK with your child's daycare center using GPS devices to keep track of your little ones? Or do you think it's creepy?
No comments:
Post a Comment