“Spare School” wristbands or spare me, please?

As students, I think we can all agree that ever since the school introduced the “Spare School” technology we have all been feeling a little more like “spare me, please”. Talk of these wristbands spread like wildfire among students across CES so let’s talk about that! (yes, this is a GMM reference)

The main aim of these wristbands, as mentioned in an email sent by the school earlier this year, is to offer a “track and trace facility”, allow students to “register electronically” as well as make cashless payments. They have been made available for purchase at the bookstore for a discounted price of 100LE (“Purely out of the goodness of our hearts!”-Vernon Dursley) whereas the full price of 150LE would be charged for a replacement. As for the parents, they can use the “Spare School” app to know when their children arrive and leave school as well as when they make purchases. But we’re not here to talk about what the school has already explained in the emails, we’re here to discuss the positives and negatives of this technology from a student’s point of view.

At first glance, the notion of being tracked around campus doesn’t sound appealing in any way, shape or form and easily overpowered any other possible benefits that these wristbands could offer. I mean honestly speaking, do we really want to be tracked around school? Of course not! It is now a matter of time before one our all-time favourite young adult dystopias becomes reality, The Hunger Games. You see the concept is simple, the wristbands have become our equivalent of the tracker and our mission has become surviving the school year without getting caught skipping class (as if that wasn’t hard enough with Mr. Antoine around). There is really no time like the present to start making alliances, so choose wisely who you trust would volunteer as tribute for you. “Happy Hunger Games, and may the odds be ever in your favour.” - Effie Trinket

Not to mention, the fact that we’re being traced is just a tad unsettling and a borderline invasion of privacy. Despite that this step may have been taken out of concern, it feels like we’re losing our freedom and being more and more constricted with every new rule imposed. Students are a crucial part of the school society; therefore, as a student, being given the choice to make certain decisions for ourselves and by ourselves would greatly affect our willingness to follow them. In addition to that, it would also teach us to become more responsible and may put things into perspective as we would be more involved in the whole process. “Never underestimate the power of a common man.” (Chennai express, anyone?) Who knows? The school may be in for a pleasant surprise!

As the initial disfavour slowly but surely ebbs away, the advantages of this technology became more apparent. Probably the biggest objective of these wristbands is to increase safety during these unfortunate times as the track and trace technology will ensure that students are staying within their designated areas. But, more importantly, in the unfortunate case that a student displays symptoms or has tested positive for corona, tracking and identify the individuals who may have come into contact with that student would be effortless.

In addition to that, the cashless payment also plays a role in Covid-19 prevention as it eliminates the exchange of money through the cafeteria. This is beneficial as this money could quite possibly have been exchanged between a large number of people, thus reducing cross-contamination and furthermore contributing towards creating an overall safe community for all of us. Parents can also rest assured as they can easily monitor their children’s entry and departure to and from the school using the app, which without a doubt, all parents appreciate especially those of students in key stage one and primary. Parents are now also able to impose a spending limit per day. However, honestly speaking I think we should be more concerned about setting a limit to the cafeteria’s constantly increasing prices (an article for another time, perhaps).

Lastly, I would like to say on behalf of everyone that the school’s continued efforts to create a safer environment for our CES family, especially during these unfortunate circumstances, are deeply appreciated. We also hope that the school is working with as much determination towards resolving g other concerns raised because at the end of the day, we are all working towards the common goal of excellence.