Chinese schools testing 'smart uniforms' that track students locations

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Thursday, January 3, 2019
Chinese schools testing 'smart uniforms' that track students locations
Chinese schools testing 'smart uniforms' that track students locations. Sharrie Williams reports during Action News at 4 p.m. on January 3, 2019.

Students at 11 schools in Southwest China will think twice about skipping class from now on, thanks to their new smart uniforms that monitor their every movement.

The tracksuits may look fashion-forward, but they're intended for the function of tracking students' exact locations.

The uniforms are equipped with two chips that record exactly when the kids enter and exit the school.

That data is then automatically sent to parents and teachers.

In addition, if the technology flags a student for walking out of school when they're not supposed to, or catches them falling asleep in class, an alarm sounds.

There's also no way to game the system.

Each tracksuit is linked to a facial recognition scanner at the front entrance, making it impossible for kids to switch uniforms.

Though critics call the tracksuits a troubling invasion of privacy, school officials apparently love them.

They say attendance rates went up dramatically in the first test schools.

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