CCTV in School Toilets / Changing rooms

[davieG]

Merc

More than 200 schools, including four in Leicestershire, are using CCTV cameras in toilets or changing rooms, figures have revealed.

A total of 825 cameras were located in the toilets or changing rooms of 207 schools across England, Scotland and Wales, showed figures provided by more than 2,000 schools.

They revealed that almost one in 10 of the schools which use CCTV said cameras were positioned in such places, while 54 have more than one camera for every 15 students.

The details have been published by the Big Brother Watch campaign group following a request under the Freedom of Information Act to 2,107 schools.

Included in the figures are Crown Hills Community College, in Leicester, with five cameras while both Long Field School, in Melton, and Woodbrook Vale High School, in Loughborough have one camera and South Charnwood High School is also included in the list.

Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “This research raises serious questions about the privacy of schoolchildren across Britain, with some schools having one camera for every five pupils and hundreds of schools using cameras in toilets and changing rooms.

“The full extent of school surveillance is far higher than we had expected and will come as a shock to many parents. Schools need to come clean about why they are using these cameras and what is happening to the footage. Local authorities also need to be doing far more to reign in excessive surveillance in their areas and ensuring resources are not being diverted from more effective alternatives.”

Big Brother Watch also warned that the Home Office’s proposals for a new regulatory structure was “not fit for purpose”.

The new post of Surveillance Camera Commissioner “will have absolutely no powers to do anything”, Mr Pickles added.

“Parents will be right to say that such a woefully weak system is not good enough.”

Responses from 2,107 secondary schools and academies showed they used 47,806 cameras, including 26,887 inside school buildings. With 1.8 million pupils being taught in these schools, there was an average of one camera for every 38 children.

In all, 90% of schools had CCTV cameras, with an average of 24 cameras in each of the 1,537 secondary schools that responded and 30 cameras in each of the 570 academies. The estimated number of CCTV cameras in secondary schools and academies across England, Wales and Scotland was now 106,710, the campaigners said. ]

Full list of schools here - http://www.thisislei...tail/story.html

Good or bad, intrusive or needed to spot bullying etc?

[yorkie1999]

Any webcam links to the girls changing rooms?

[Babylon]

Merc

Good or bad, intrusive or needed to spot bullying etc?

Depends on where they are looking and the layout of the rooms.

Some schools could use them to monitor lockers etc. Biggest problem we had was stuff vanishing from bags while nobody was around.

[Houdini Logic]

Looks like I've found my new occupation

[Captain...]

It would be nice to think they could teach good values and help mould decent human beings, and not need to spy on the kids.

[Zingari]

They're gonna be spied on for the rest of their lives so it's probably best to get them used to it early on

[Darkon84]

When I was at school, I remember there being a camera in the main part of our changing rooms which was just a main bag storage area, before the room went round the corner in to the actual changing and shower areas. In this sense, it was a good idea as there was no seedy spying, but just an aim to monitor theft etc. However, it failed and my entire sports kit and bag was stolen once. Bastards!

[MooseBreath]

Don't like the idea of subjecting impressionable minds to implied accusations, or even just the way it admits that school is not a totally safe place to be. But as has been said, they better get used to it. It seems like CCTV and the nanny state is the answer to everything In this country. Why anyone would wish to subject their kids to the torture of growing up in such a grim country, I don't know.

[Captain...]

Does anyone else think this kind of stuff sets a challenge, and encourages criminal activity?

There are plenty of places you could easily steal from, but you don't because it would just be too easy, for example book stores with books on tables outside, or market stalls and things like that.

But as soon as you put security guards in and cameras, you start thinking how I could get round them, the more you get treated as a criminal the more likely you are to become one.

I have not stolen many things in my time, I am no angel though, but I remember one time being in Virgin Megastore in the Shires, and flicking through some tapes, yep that long ago, and I picked one up and it just fell out of its security bracket, it was liberated from its prison and suddenly became fair game, so I subtly slipped it in my pocket and walked out with it.

The Ironic thing is I had been in plenty of music shops and record fairs and it would have been much easier to steal from, but I never would, because I was given the trust to not do so. In Virgin it felt like all the tapes were their mocking you, saying "you can't steal me", "I am protected", "I'm untouchable", "you want me you have to pay", well guess what Far Beyond Driven, by Pantera, I touched you, I touched you good, and I touched you for free, and I am touching you right now...

Mwahhahhahahaha!!!!

I'm not a petty thief more of a dormant criminal mastermind just waiting for a challenge big enough.

[James.]

I did something similar in Our Price on Gallowtree Gate. There was a bargain basket of loose tapes on offer at 99p. I thought to myself, am I fúck paying 99p for Late Night Sessions by DJ Harvey. So I subtly slipped it from my hand into the sleeve of my jacket and walked out feeling like the world was my oyster.

[Fox92]

In my secondary school, we had camera's on the entrance door. So if something did happen, you were recorded, and they could see when you went in and out. Nobody actually thought the camera's were real, until one of the senior teacher's removed my mate from English, and showed him the pictures of him throwing someone else (very agressive) into the door.

[Steven]

Merc

Good or bad, intrusive or needed to spot bullying etc?

Perverts charter.

[Parafox]

I thought cameras in public toilets were illegal. School toilets may not be public places but they're certainly not private.

Shops and supermarkets aren't allowed camers in their toilets.

Parents aren't allowed to take photo's of their kids in swimming pools, how can schools get away with this?

[purpleronnie]

They're gonna be spied on for the rest of their lives so it's probably best to get them used to it early on

This is true, we are a nation obsessed with cctv...unfortunately.

[Babylon]

Parents aren't allowed to take photo's of their kids in swimming pools, how can schools get away with this?

Because perhaps they are recording just a door to tape who enters, or the sink area. And not kids running round in their undies.

[indierich06]

Don't like the idea of subjecting impressionable minds to implied accusations, or even just the way it admits that school is not a totally safe place to be. But as has been said, they better get used to it. It seems like CCTV and the nanny state is the answer to everything In this country. Why anyone would wish to subject their kids to the torture of growing up in such a grim country, I don't know.

Yeah, let's pack them off to Rwanda - no nanny state or security cameras there, it'll be paradise.

[MooseBreath]

Yeah, let's pack them off to Rwanda - no nanny state or security cameras there, it'll be paradise.

Yeah, when thinking of alternatives to the UK, I always think Rwanda as well. I mean there's barely anywhere else in the world.

[Parafox]

Because perhaps they are recording just a door to tape who enters, or the sink area. And not kids running round in their undies.

It doesn't specify which area are being observed. I would hope it IS just the door area...

And not a back passage

[RobHawk]

I know when i was at school the toilets were often set on fire or destroyed! If you had cameras showing who was going in and out you'd have a fair idea who dunnit.

In saying that tho in my old school they would probably destroy the camera first!

[purpleronnie]

Yeah, let's pack them off to Rwanda - no nanny state or security cameras there, it'll be paradise.

I think he's on the windup...he doesn't seem to have the capacity to see the amazing beauty within the UK....which either means he's an idiot or on the windup...so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

[MooseBreath]

I think he's on the windup...he doesn't seem to have the capacity to see the amazing beauty within the UK....which either means he's an idiot or on the windup...so I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt.

I can see the amazing beauty, I'm just concerned that calling it amazing night be a bit unfair on the parts of the country which aren't so amazing. I'd also like to be able to see it without being recorded every step of the way and, when I get there, I'd like to be able to look at it without having to pass a health and safety course.

[purpleronnie]

I can see the amazing beauty, I'm just concerned that calling it amazing night be a bit unfair on the parts of the country which aren't so amazing. I'd also like to be able to see it without being recorded every step of the way and, when I get there, I'd like to be able to look at it without having to pass a health and safety course.

Well I do agree with that but i just wouldnt generalise and say its a grim country.

[Parafox]

I can see the amazing beauty, I'm just concerned that calling it amazing night be a bit unfair on the parts of the country which aren't so amazing. I'd also like to be able to see it without being recorded every step of the way and, when I get there, I'd like to be able to look at it without having to pass a health and safety course.

Yer Wot?

[Daggers]

[Zingari]

I bet the sheep feel safer.

That bloke in the field with them looks as if he's up to summat !