http://uk.news.yahoo.com/5/20100309/tuk-parents-angry-over-cctv-in-school-to-45dbed5.html

Some parents are furious at what they say is a "total invasion of privacy" and claim some pupils are so anxious about being watched they are refusing to use the facilities.

One mother whose teenage daughter attends the school is concerned the footage could fall into the wrong hands.

She told the Sunday Mercury: "She came home from school and told me security cameras had been installed in the girl's toilets but we didn't know anything about it.

"You would expect the school to have consulted parents first yet we received no information and no letters have been sent home explaining this decision."

Grace Academy claims the cameras only cover the sink areas and have not yet been activated.

School principal Terry Wales told Sky News: "It's to safeguard our youngsters, many schools are using cameras now.

"We had a parents' forum last night, we explained the arrangements and the parents were satisfied.

"We've found that when it comes to health and safety, children want to feel secure."

But privacy campaigners warned about the psychological effects of the feeling of being watched, even if cameras are not switched on.

Dylan Sharpe from Big Brother Watch told Sky News: "Children are entitled to privacy like anyone else.

"We're raising a generation of children accustomed to being constantly watched and monitored, whether cameras are switched on or not."

Grace Academy already has 26 CCTV cameras watching other parts of the school.

The incident is the latest row to erupt between schools and parents who are concerned about safeguarding their children's privacy.

Last year police were called to a school in Salford after parents were horrified to discover children had been filmed changing into their PE kit.

Although the footage was not misused, police seized the film after negotiating with the school.

In 2007 it was revealed schools had fingerprinted thousands of primary school children without their parent's consent.

The Department for Children, Schools and Families later ruled that if schools want to obtain and store biometric data from children, consent is not required from parents.

Meh, they could do better than that. I'm sure they have showers, that is where to put a video camera.

We are rapidly becoming a 'surveilled' society - and now they seem to have crossed the last line ... ELECTIONS HAVE CONSEQUENCES, folks ... need more proof than this ... ?

you realize that the story is in the UK, right?

What I am wondering is why they think a bunch of children are such a danger to society they need to have cameras on them in their schools including the bathrooms.I don't think prisons even have cameras in the bathrooms.This sounds more like a excuse for a peeping Tom to get his kicks by peeping on children as apposed to security concerns.I also don't think cameras lower crime at all.Washington DC has cameras everywhere you look and they have some of the highest crime in the nation.

And your point IS ... ? Yes, I KNOW it's in the UK ... they're already WAY more surveilled than we are - but do you seriously think an 'administration' that seeks control to the degree the present 'administration' does would shy away from endorsing or trying this ... ? The 'administration' which already took over GM and Chrysler, AIG, most of the banking industry, and now wants to take direct control over our bodies by controlling 'health care' (which is really an 'insurance' scam, but nobody's watching). THAT 'administration' ... ? You seriously believe they wouldn't endorse this ... ? What about cities with 'red light cameras' that are there for your 'safety' ... ? They're really REVENUE generators - they don't give a daamn about your safety - much like the 'administration' doesn't care about your 'privacy' any more than the Brits have shown they care about it. Give it time ... patterns work slowly, but they work ...

If you see CCTV it always means the UK.If you think we have it bad they have way worse as far as big brother.They have security cameras everywhere you can imagine.I usually don't post topics too often from other countries but this one was too good to pass up.

http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&source=hp&q=school+kids+that+hang+themselves+in+the+bathroom&aq=f&aqi=&aql=&oq=

Just one guess.

Have any of you visited the UK?

I have and the CCTV is not everywhere but where it is , it is a good idea. I think it can be used as a means of security but also , in the wrong hands, as a means of invading privacy.

I don't think security cameras are a bad thing.Like I said before I don't think they lower crime but they are excellent proof in court cases where they caught the person on camera doing the crime.I think this bathroom story is part of a growing trend of people losing all kinds of privacy all in the name of security.I also know once someone has the balls to do something like this other countries follow lead.Next we will read the same story from Australia,Canada,and then the United states.But like I said before I really feel like this has nothing to do with security and more about someone getting his or her rocks off by watching what is happening in the girls bathroom.I know they said the cameras were just watching the sink area but I'm sure it was probably most of the bathroom excluding the stalls.

You might say what's the harm in that?Young girls often spill drinks or food on their shirts and may need to take them off to wash a spot off of them.They may have to change their shirts or pants for what ever reason.Female bathrooms typically have tampon machines in them and I'm sure they don't want someone knowing they are buying tampons out of the machine.Many other reasons I dont need to list.

Do I even need to mention the multi billion dollar porn industry?I am sure a website showing just school girls in the bathroom putting on make up would be a multi million dollar website.Once those cameras were in and once the girls were used to them it probably wouldn't be too hard to adjust one of them to looking into the stall of the toilet.

How would you feel if you saw a camera in a public restroom?

Id use the private stalls. Id be upset if cameras were THERE, but not in the sinks area.

I hope your way of thinking is the exception and not the norm.

One never knows,,,, i do know this though,,


The US has , in some schools, metal detectors. It is a REACTION to the REAL problem those areas had with weapons in school. Id say perhaps this is a reaction to a REAL problem the UK is having with violence , and possibly drug use, in their schools. I saw MANY very young people utilizing pot and cigarettes when I was there and if this is a way to keep a tab on those types of things, I am all for it.

I thought it was illegal to have cameras in restrooms, changing rooms, and such.

When I was in school, they had dogs come in every so often to search for drugs. They had police officers in the school as well for security. We had cameras as well, but not in the restrooms.

I think there are COMMON areas of a bathroom(where groups of people are gathered) and then PRIVATE areas(meant for one person). I am sure it is illegal to have a camera in PRIVATE areas but probably not in COMMON areas.

wow what cry babies ms harmony seems to be the only rational one here

I think you used the wrong adjective . DEMENTED IS THE WORD WE NEED WHEN TALKING AOUT SCHOOLS NOW DAYS . If someone wants to see whats the kids are doing ,they should get a teacher to look . They are paid for the WHOLE DAM DAY YOU KNOW ..

Yeah, let's vote the Brits out in November!!!

lol

well, I did like their surprising absence of guns in Wales, didnt stop other kinds of violence but at least one had more of a fighting chance,,,