Julie Hambleton
Julie Hambleton
December 8, 2022 ·  3 min read

School Uses Facial Recognition Technology to Make Students Pay Attention

Authorities, businesses, and industries in China over the past few years have been increasing their usage of facial recognition technology for a variety of purposes. One of the more controversial ones is their use of the tech in schools to monitor how well students are paying attention. They first tested it out back in 2019. Some think it is a great advancement. Others, however, are not so sure.

China Uses Facial Recognition Technology In Schools To Monitor Attentiveness

In primary schools in China in 2018 and 2019, the government began installing cameras in classrooms to monitor students. These are not regular cameras, however. They are equipped with facial recognition technology with the sole purpose of monitoring how well students are paying attention in class. The cameras do this by measuring the facial expressions of the students. (1)

How It Works

The system recognizes seven facial expressions: Happy, sad, disappointed, angry, scared, surprised, and neutral. Based on these facial expressions, the system tracks whether students are paying attention to the lesson. This information is then sent back to the teacher, who can determine which students they need to snap back into focus.

The headmaster of the first school that adopted the system says it is like the teacher has a virtual assistant. It allows the teacher to improve the quality of teaching and ensure that each student is listening to and understanding the lesson. The children also feel that it makes it so that they can’t so easily slack off in class.

“Previously when I had classes that I didn’t like very much, I would be lazy and maybe take a nap on the desk or flick through other textbooks. But I don’t dare be distracted since the cameras were installed in the classrooms. It’s like a pair of mystery eyes are constantly watching me.” said one child.

Read: She’s a model citizen, but she can’t hide in China’s ‘social credit’ system

A Privacy Infringement?

Naturally, some are questioning whether or not this technology is encroaching on the privacy of the students. The supporters of the system, however, say this is not the case. The cameras are not filming or recording the students. Rather, they are simply following their movements and facial expressions to assist the teacher in ensuring they have the attention of the entire class.

Facial Recognition Technology In China

The use of facial recognition technology in China is not something new for the country. The technology is used by more and more industries each year. The police use it to find suspected criminals and even the gaming industry uses it to make sure minors play video games late at night. Some Chinese companies are using helmets with similar technology for their workers to monitor their concentration levels. (2)

These helmets can detect emotions and feelings such as stress, panic, and fatigue. They do so by measuring brain activity. Primarily it is high-stress jobs that use these helmets. For example, high-speed train conductors and electricians have them to help with safety. If the worker begins dozing off, the helmet sounds an alarm to make them more alert.

While there are certainly some benefits to the technology, there are some issues in China with it. Some Chinese citizens feel it is overused and that, in many cases, it is infringing on their privacy. Facial recognition technology has also made it easier for the government to control and discriminate against other ethnic groups. Suppose you are a member of one of the ethnic groups that the government is actively attempting to suppress or perhaps even extinguish. In that case, you will have some pretty major issues with facial recognition technology.

Making certain purchases and moving through the country, especially leaving the country, will become much more difficult, if not impossible. Currently, the depth of how much China uses facial recognition technology is not fully known. Time will tell how it affects people living there, particularly the children in school.

Keep Reading: China’s billionaires want to flee the country, and take $60 billion of wealth with them on their way out

Sources

  1. Chinese School Uses Facial Recognition Technology to Make Students Pay Attention.” Interesting Engineering. Jessica Miley. May 18, 2019.
  2. Chinese School Faces Backlash Over Use of Facial Recognition Scanners.” Sixthtone. Zhang Wanqing. February 21, 2022.