A smart card is a physical card that offers a wide range of capabilities and functions. Applicable for use in a variety of industries and sectors, they are most commonly used in medical, healthcare, and educational settings. Continue reading to familiarise yourself with a number of uses for smart cards in education.

1.     ID verification 

With no need to carry around a physical form of identification, smart cards can be a great way to provide ID verification for staff members as well as students. They can be loaded with additional information such as emergency contact details, medical history, and educational records. They can also include biometric data to prevent ID cards from being used if they are fake or stolen.  

2.     Access control 

One of the most popular uses of smart cards in education is for access control. With restricted access to and from buildings a growing concern for schools, smart cards can control who can and cannot enter certain buildings at certain times of the day. This ensures optimal safety and security and also allows for further personalisation. For example, by programming each smart card to each individual student, they are unlikely to get lost or end up in staff-only areas either intentionally or accidentally. Hazardous or busy routes can also be avoided during lunch or break times to prevent overcrowding and reduce the risk of injury. CIPURSE or MIFARE cards, in particular, are great access control solutions. 

3.     IT authorisation 

Smart cards can be used to authorise IT users. With a simple swipe, students or members of staff can be granted or denied access to sensitive or confidential data in a matter of seconds. This ensures only those with express permission are able to read and edit personal information and prying eyes are kept out. This also prevents students from logging in with someone else’s username and password and making any unauthorised changes to their account. As with access control, schools can control who can access which information. For example, students may be allowed to surf the web but only to view educational websites. 

4.     Cashless payments 

The use of smart cards for cashless payments in schools is growing in popularity. With no need to fumble with coins or notes during busy break or lunch periods, students and staff members can pay for goods and services with prepaid top-up smart cards in a matter of seconds. This also prevents money from being lost or stolen at school or in the playground. As well as using cashless payments to purchase food and drinks on campus, they can also be used to pay for items found in vending machines, photocopying or printing, and even stationery stores. 

With smart cards continuing to infiltrate a number of industries and sectors on a global scale, they have proven popular in educational settings. As well as providing a means of ID verification, they can also offer access control, IT authorisation, and cashless payments for students as well as members of staff.