The Department of Education (DOE) is installing a system in Bronx and city schools to keep track of substitute teachers and keep criminals away from students.

All of the city?s approximately 9,000 substitute instructors will get a credit-card sized ID with their picture on it as part of the Smart Card system. Teachers will have to swipe their card when they report for work. The system will bring up their name, social security number and whether they have a criminal background.

The system is already in use in about 600 schools citywide. The DOE plans to have the program up and running in all city schools by the end of 2007.