3 benefits of ID cards in educational facilities

It's become more and more common in recent years for educational facilities, including schools, colleges, and universities, to use ID cards to improve security and safeguarding measures. However, there hasn't yet been a universal shift towards ID cards, and why not? Education providers have a duty of care towards both their staff and their students, and ID cards are a very simple and cost-effective way to improve security onsite. Let's take a look at the three biggest benefits of ID cards in education.

They're vital for safeguarding

Perhaps the most obvious benefit of using ID cards in schools and other educational institutions is the clear implications for safeguarding. By allocating students and staff with photo ID cards and assigning visitor IDs to guests, you can make it much harder for unwanted guests to come onsite. Fitting electronic ID card readers - which only grant people with cards access to the site - can be used to improve security even further.

Over the past few years, the UK has seen a cultural shift which has seen schools place more emphasis on safeguarding, and it seems that ID cards will likely become a natural next step to this.

They make it easier to get to know each other

It can be very difficult, particularly in large facilities, to remember everyone around you. Asking both staff and students to use ID cards means it's easier to get to know everyone in the building - meaning both colleagues and students - and remember each other's names, too. Not only can this improve the relationships between staff and students, but it also means there's no confusion over roles - staff won't be confused for students and vice versa.

They can help you crack down on truancy

Finally, ID cards can be an invaluable tool in the battle against truancy, lateness, and unauthorised absences. If students have to carry ID cards around with them at all times, it's much easier for staff to identify students in corridors and establish whether they should be in a lesson or not. Photo IDs prevent students from being able to give false names and their details can even be cross-checked against an in-house system providing information on their schedule for the day. With the integration of smart cards, you can even set up readers in classrooms for a student to present their card to when they arrive, making attendance tracking even easier.

How can we help?

If you're in need of ID cards for education and educational settings, get in touch with us at ID Cards Direct. We can create custom ID cards for your facility as well as supplying card readers and access control accessories to improve security and safety procedures across your site for years to come.