JMIR Publications

ABSTRACT

Background:

Governments around the world adopted contact tracing to limit the spread of Covid-19 in schools. Contact tracing tools utilizing digital technology can increase efficiency compared to manual methods. Mobile phone applications have also been in developed for digital contact tracing and have been used in countries around the world Furthermore, Smart Cards are also increasingly utilized as identification credentials to control access to certain school areas and monitor attendance and Smart Card data can be utilized to assist contact tracing efforts. So far little is known about the applicability of these tools in schools.

Objective:

To explore views, needs and concerns among Secondary School stakeholders, regarding the implementation of three digital tools for contact tracing: Access Cards; Proximity Tracking; CCTV.

Methods:

Focus Groups and Interviews were conducted with Secondary School students, parents and teachers. The topic guide was informed by the Unified Theory of Technology and Acceptance. Data driven and theory driven approaches were combined to identify themes and subthemes.

Results:

We recruited 22 participants. Findings showed that there is not a single solution that is suitable for all schools, with each technology option having advantages and limitations. Existing school infrastructure (e.g. CCTV and Smart /Access Cards technology) and the geography of each school would determine which tools would be optimal for a particular school. Concerns regarding the cost of installing and maintaining equipment were prominent among all groups. Parents and teachers worried about how the application of these solutions will affect students’ right to privacy. Parents also appeared not to have adequate knowledge of the surveillance technologies already available in schools (e.g. CCTV). Students, who were mostly aware of the presence of surveillance technologies, were less concerned about any potential threats to their privacy while they wanted reassurances that any solutions would be used for their intended purposes.

Conclusions:

Findings revealed that there is not one tool that would be suitable for every school and the context will determine which tool would be appropriate. This study highlighted important ethical issues such as privacy concerns, balancing invasions of privacy against potential benefits, transparency of communication around surveillance technology and data use, and processes of consent. These need to be carefully considered when implementing contact racing technologies in school settings.