The use of ID cards within educational facilities is on the rise. From high schools to universities, this straightforward identification method can help with everything from attendance monitoring to access control, all from a single card. As such, this is a security method that is well worth investing in.
What can ID cards be used for in education facilities?
As mentioned above, ID cards can be used across numerous educational facilities, including schools, colleges and universities. When utilised correctly, they serve as the perfect replacement for legacy systems and dated security procedures, allowing educators to keep facilities running as smoothly as possible.
They can be used for a wide variety of purposes, including:
- Access Control
- Attendance Monitoring
- Accessing IT Systems
- Cashless Payments
Access control
It is the responsibility of educators and facility leaders to maintain a safe environment for students. ID cards can be used for the purpose of access control, meaning that only registered students and educators can gain access to facilities and learning spaces. This, in turn, greatly enhances any previous security measures taken to keep students safe.
In addition to granting access to the main campus itself, educators can control who accesses specific spaces on campus. This becomes particularly important in higher education environments for students who need to access secure environments, such as laboratory facilities.
Attendance monitoring
There is a clear, undeniable link between attendance and academic performance, which is why attendance monitoring is so crucial in educational facilities. As ID cards can be used to verify when students enter the facility or specific classrooms, this can allow you to maintain more accurate attendance records. This prevents truancy and incentivises high attendance rates. Accurate time-stamping also means that you can accurately monitor punctuality.
When attendance and punctuality rates are poor, educators can work with students and provide them with the additional support they need to resolve this. This can help to ensure students get back on the right path, as opposed to falling short of their potential.
Accessing IT systems.
Another way in which ID cards can be used in educational facilities is by granting access to IT systems. Again, this is an additional security measure which helps to ensure that student data and their work are kept safe and can only be accessed by the student in question. For example, this prevents unauthorised access to information such as student timetables, reports, and more.
This also allows for efficient monitoring of students’ online behaviours. This way, if a facility’s digital code of conduct is breached, they’re able to quickly identify those responsible and take action accordingly.
Cashless payments.
Cashless payments can also be facilitated through the use of ID cards. This is particularly beneficial for younger students, as they are not left in charge of cash or bank cards. Parents and guardians can add money to their account online, and they are then able to use this for on-site purchases, whether that be food, drinks or school supplies.
Final thoughts
In the past, ID cards served a single purpose, particularly within education centres, typically to grant access to facilities, classrooms or other spaces on campus. However, ongoing technological developments mean that they can now serve various purposes at once.
In addition to benefiting the students, the use of ID cards brings forth many benefits for educators and facility managers. This is perhaps most obvious when it comes to security protocols, as it prevents unauthorised access to campus spaces and facilities. This means that security managers have greater control over who is present at any given time. In emergency scenarios, this information can play a pivotal role in crisis management, as they will know exactly who is present on campus.
In short, if there is one thing that educational facilities should be investing heavily in at this moment in time, it’s id cards for education. As outlined above, this will allow facility managers to build upon pre-existing security processes, improve student life, and generally make day-to-day practices a lot easier.
