We've always been at war with Eurasia

I occasionally ask, rhetorically, what the difference is between a government school and a prison. (The differences are often subtle. I suspect the food is better in prison.) Here is another step in that direction.

For the past few weeks, Brittan's seventh- and eighth-graders have been required to wear badges with the technology -- called RFID, or radio frequency identification devices -- around their necks. School officials say the badges are scanned and used for attendance. But some parents and privacy advocates are outraged that the badges were given to students without parents' knowledge or consent.