CCTV cameras in schools

A research on CCTV cameras in schools estimates that there are now more than 100,000 CCTV cameras in secondary schools and academies across England, Scotland and Wales.

The  concerns about the scale of their use are not only a matter of the privacy of school children and teachers, but are also over the reasons why Britain continues to race ahead of nearly every other country when it comes to surveillance.

 

 

All too often, surveillance is used as a quick fix, with little or no evaluation of whether it actually addresses the problem. Does it really reduce bullying, or does it displace it? Are better lockers a more effective way to reduce theft? Numerous reports looking at CCTV have found it does little to deter crime. One report in 2007 looking at Parisian schools found that CCTV was "at best ineffective, at worst negative". Theft continued to increase and intruders were not prevented from entering the premises.

 

 

It seems prudent to establish an evidential basis before pursuing such widespread surveillance, particularly given the heightened sensitivity of recording young people at school. Indeed, some teachers have been making strong arguments about how they believe CCTV undermines the relationship they have with their pupils and that it is not a prerequisite of a safe school.

Based on Freedom of Information Act responses from more than 2,000 schools, our research highlights the variations between schools using CCTV.

 

 

Parents, teachers and pupils need to be part of the discussion. The government has a role to play too. Unfortunately, the Home Office's proposed regulatory system, a code of practice and a new surveillance camera commissioner, is far too weak to give anyone real confidence that oversight of CCTV cameras is robust. The code will not directly apply to schools, while the commissioner will have no powers of inspection or enforcement. We think the code should apply to all publicly funded organisations, and that the commissioner should have those powers. It would be ridiculous if, in a situation where a parent, teacher or pupil feels a camera is intrusive, the person responsible for overseeing surveillance cameras was not able to investigate and take any action necessary.

 

Combined with evidential studies into how CCTV is being used and whether it is actually improving safety, we believe that we can ensure any surveillance in schools is proportionate and absolutely necessary.

 

 

The surveillance experiment of the past 20 years has failed to reduce crime or improve public safety. As schoolchildren across the country are now expected to accept surveillance for the formative years of their education, it is time for a different approach.