Devices that are being attached to students’ backpacks do not contain any GPS device and are not traceable, the Education Ministry said on Friday.

The ministry was reacting to complaints by a number of parents after the government launched the first phase of a tagging system that is meant to inform parents when their children board and alight their school transport.

The device, known as a fob, is part of the free school transport scheme. The government had originally planned to appoint supervisors on every vehicle but later backtracked, saying it was opting for the fob system. The parents receive the information via a mobile phone app.

The government said the scheme has been introduced at one state college for now and a technical evaluation phase will follow. Eventually, the system will become more widespread.

The ministry said the fob is attached to the backpack and an alert is sent when the student boards and disembarks from the school transport vehicle. Once the students disembark, there is no system tracking their whereabouts.

The ministry said the information is sent to the app by the vehicle, and not by the fob itself.

No personal data is stored on the fob. In fact, if the device is lost, there is no way to tell who it belongs to.

More detailed information can be found on www.schooltransport.edu.mt/faqs