UK school uniforms may soon have GPS

DEAN KOZANIC/The Press

WE'RE WATCHING: A British company may put satellite tracking devices in school uniforms, so schools and parents can keep tabs on kids.

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A school uniform maker in England is considering adding satellite tracking devices to its clothing range so parents will always know where their children are.

The move comes after the Lancashire-based manufacturer Trutex commissioned an online survey of more than 800 parents and over 400 children aged between nine and 16.

It found 44 per cent of the adults were worried about the safety of their children and 59 per cent would be interested in uniforms with satellite tracking systems.

While nearly half of all pupils aged 12 and under said they would be prepared to wear the tracking devices in uniforms, teenagers were more wary.

"As well as being a safety net for parents, there could be real benefits for schools who could keep a closer track on the whereabouts of their pupils, potentially reducing truancy levels," Trutex's marketing director Clare Rix told The Guardian newspaper.

The tracking device idea comes after another English clothing company, Bladerunner, last week revealed it was selling stab-proof t-shirts, hooded tops and school blazers to parents worried about their children being attacked.

The company has received orders from as far away as Australia, including from parents in Perth, Melbourne, Darwin and Sydney.

- AAP