Anti-health-measure movement slams Central Quebec School Board pilot project

The Central Quebec School Board is trying to correct what it says is false information about its pilot project.

The English-language board (CQSB) is starting to use an application to track school buses in real time with the help of a QR code scanned when children enter and exit the bus. Parents will be notified when their child is picked up and dropped off.

Participation isn't mandatory, but many who identify with the movement against COVID-19 health measures have been reacting angrily on the board's Facebook page, saying children are forced to show their code to get on the bus. Others compare the app to the vaccine passport system, which was lifted Saturday.

Stephen Burke, chairman of the CQSB, says it is simply a measure to improve safety in a board where 90 per cent of the students have to take a school bus. The Marguerite-Bourgeois School Service Centre started using the application in 2018.

"This is not an exercise in artificial intelligence, children are not guinea pigs," he said.

"We are a small school board on a large territory, the children travel a long distance by bus."

A secure app

According to Eric Parent, a cybersecurity expert and CEO of Eva Technologies, the benefits for schools and parents outweigh the application's risks.

"I don't see any threats," he said. "In theory, an ill-intentioned person can't know who the children on the bus are. They can know that there are children. But this is information that we already know."

"Everyone knows that children are transported by bus in the morning and evening."

Earlier this week, the CQSB sent a letter to parents outlining the project, which quickly ended up on social media. Mention of the QR code is what caused most reactions.

"Many people have got it into their heads that the government is against them," he said.

Parents of CQSB students will be able to give their feedback about the pilot project.