A new mobile solution will allow for parents in Malta to feel more secure when sending away their kids to school. A system managed by the Ministry of Education and Employment will operate on licensed school buses and will require the placement of a fob on the top of school bags. Therefore once the student gets onto the vehicle, together with the fob attached to the school bag, the bus reader tags the fob automatically with a no-touch technology. The timestamp and actual location of the bus will send this information to the administrative system that is managed by the School Transport Unit which will thereby push the notification to the parent.
The fob does not contain any personal data, but a unique number that is printed on the fob without personal details. The Ministry of Education and Employment of Malta underlines that the fob is not a tracking device, but works only when the student boards / disembarks the authorised School Transport vehicle, therefore parents or legal guardians will only get 4 notifications a day.
The Ministry reassures that the new devices do not bear any risk for the kids.
