New Gates Funded Database
Keeps Addresses & SS Numbers On Millions Of Children
Just reported on Rueters News, this $100 million database has only
been "visible" for three months now, while the data input began
18 months ago...and already holds information on millions of children
K -12 grade, comprised of names, addresses, including S.S. numbers,
and further data is added about hobbies, career goals, attitudes
toward school and homework completion.
The database includes test scores and attendance as well as learning
disabilities, supposedly collected as a way to profle children, in cooperation
with School Districts. This information is then stored, and provides a detailed
view of students' educational experiences.
Legal rights to this information go to local education officials, who
will be able to share files with private companies that sell educational
products and services, and may begin to sell this information in 2015.
This is postively Orwelllian, and seems wrong on many levels.
What is highly disconcerting is this information has been collected
without the consent or knowledge of the parents or the students.
QuoteSchools do not need parental consent to share student records
with any "school official" who has a "legitimate educational interest,"
according to the US Department of Education. The department defines
"school official" to include private companies hired by the school, so long
as they use the data only for the purposes spelled out in their contracts.
That's hardly reassuring to many parents.
Quote"Once this information gets out there, it's going to be abused.
There's no doubt in my mind,"
one of the parents said. Well, he is right.
QuoteThe database is a joint project of the Bill & Melinda Gates
Foundation, which provided most of the funding, the Carnegie Corporation
of New York and school officials from several states. Amplify Education, a
division of Rupert Murdoch's News Corp, built the infrastructure over the
past 18 months. When it was ready, the Gates Foundation turned the
database over to a newly created nonprofit, inBloom Inc, which will run it.
States and school districts can choose whether they want to input
their student records into the system; the service is free for now,
though inBloom officials say they will likely start to charge fees in
2015. So far seven states; Colorado, Delaware, Georgia, Illinois,
Kentucky, North Carolina, and Massachusetts have committed to
enter data from select school districts.
Louisiana and New York will be entering nearly all student
records statewide.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2013/03/03/us-education-database-idUSBRE92204W20130303
http://education.tmcnet.com/topics/education/articles/329148-student-learning-database-incites-interest-controversy.htm
http://techcircle.vccircle.com/2013/03/05/k-12-student-database-jazzes-tech-startups-spooks-parents/
Welcome to 1984!
Oddly...
I heard this interview last night with a Doc who is considered to be the best in the world...
Wow this has taken longer to find this interview than it took him to do some odd stuff :(
Robert Langer: exchanges at the frontier QuoteAs a young chemical engineer in the early 1970's Robert Langer decided not to make the obvious career choice and work for an oil company instead he chose to take a different path.
Today he's the most cited scientist in the history of engineering, one of America's greatest inventors and Director of the world's largest bio medical lab. The Langer Lab is responsible for developing technology that has dramatically advanced the field of medicine.
In conversation with British philosopher AC Grayling, Robert Langer discusses the interdisciplinary approach taken by the Langer Lab, his pioneering research, the future of medicine, his hopes for nano technology and why university researchers shouldn't shy away from entrepreneurial activity.
Exchanges at the Frontier - Courtesy of the BBC World Service
SOURCE: http://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/bigideas/robert-langer3a-at-the-frontier-of-biomedical-research/4537918
Bill Gates Foundation is mentioned in in this interview "Briefly"