News

Barnsley School Named In CCTV Report

Wednesday September 12 2012

A BARNSLEY school has appeared on a national list named as one of the UK schools that has the most CCTV cameras installed per child.

Dearne ALC featured on a list of 54 schools published today as figures revealed it had so many CCTV cameras that it worked out to a ratio of one to every 15 children.

The figures, published by Big Brother Watch, show that there are more than 100,000 CCTV cameras in secondary schools and academies across England, Wales and Scotland - placed in locations including bathrooms and changing rooms.

A spokesman for Big Brother Watch said it was concerned for student's privacy.

He added: "The use of surveillance cameras in schools is perhaps one of the most sensitive uses of CCTV.

"From concerns about who is viewing the images to the broader question of acclimatising children to an environment where surveillance is the norm, it is not a topic to be taken lightly.

"Yet again CCTV appears to be used as a quick fix to much more complex problems and issues that simply cannot be solved with passive surveillance.

"We believe few parents will be aware of the true level of surveillance many schoolchildren are now under."

What do you think? Should CCTV be allowed in schools? As a parent, are you aware of it?

Reply Posted by lara on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 15:16

well if this is true about cameras in the toilets this is dam right out of order we have right to privacy dont matter if your a child or adult this is wrong. they should be there to protect people and let students and teachers feel safe not spy on people this is so wrong. i wont be allowing my children to go to schools that are surrounded in cameras and i will be asking the high school when i visit on open day how many cameras they have and where and will decide if i am letting my son go to any high school. so wrong

Reply Posted by AJ on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 15:26

I dont believe that any of those cameras are there to spy on people. No one is looking at the kids bits. But lets face it... if you were a kid and wanted to do something bad and get away with it, where would you go? The toilets is where. Its where the bullying is done, the smoking etc. Do you want your kids around that or do you prefer to have the cctv in the public area's? The cameras do not appear in the cubicles theyre just there to help the kids feel safer and i bet the only kids moaning about them are those with something to hide!

Reply Posted by lara on Sunday September 16 2012 at 11:56

am 25 so wouldnt care, when i was at school and i felt safe going to the toilets and going about school i never got bullied going about the school only place i hated was P.E where alot of things happened and since there are no cameras in there as its kids getting undressed hows that going to do owt. if kids want to bully they will do and cameras wont stop them doing that. its rediculuse that we use cameras for everything. we should learn after the fact that we have cameras all over town things still dont get stopped and still happens so nothing sill change that. only way to change that is by teaching kids properly about bullying. its all abit mad feels alot like people spying on otheres all the time. they dont do things like this in most private schools. kids will be kids they need to learn not just be watched and told what to do.

Reply Posted by Josh on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 15:28

Fair enough if the schools want to use CCTV cameras but the use of cameras in places were privacy is needed is totally out of order. Many people assume that CCTV cameras prevent bullying, however this is not the case. Think about it, would you like to be getting changed for PE when people are sat monitoring you on cameras?

Reply Posted by Billy on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 15:50

Both my high schools and my primary school all had CCTV surveillance, and yes that's in the toilets too. But when someone says they are in the toilets, people always assume that there are cameras in the toilet bowls or something. The cameras are only legally allowed to be able to view the sinks and other parts, the urinals and toilet cubicles are not in view. I always felt a hell of a lot more safe knowing that there was surveillance in my schools to make sure that no-one unauthorized was coming onto the site, and that no-one was vandalizing, fighting or causing trouble without being seen by the reliable CRB checked individual who was viewing the cameras.

Reply Posted by king louis on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 16:03

We live in Her Majesty's Prison Island UK. Fines from scameras are on the increase and the kids need to be brainwashed into a life of punishment hanging over their every move. Even their opinions can be used against them if they speak out loud to another child....every word and deed is being recorded

Reply Posted by Gemma on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 16:44

Oh for gods sake! Like Billy said, they aren't in the bowls! Bloody hell everyone thinks everyone is a peodofile nowadays. It's a good idea to have CCTV. Too many little shites getting away with bullying other kids and what about the teachers? I left school ten years ago and it has changed so much since then, teachers get accused of all sorts, they have terrors day in day out making life miserable because they can do what they want and teachers just take it. I would sought out a high school that has CCTV for my kids to go to. Safety is my primary concern for my girls.

Reply Posted by greenginger on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 16:47

@king louis - how sad that you can spout such nonsense. The only people who worry about CCTV and talk conspiracies are the nuts and the criminals or the guilty.
As for it being Dearne school, why am I not surprised? The poorer areas always have more problem children within their schools. You can build fancy schools but that does not change the attitude of the kids going to it or the lack of good teachers.

Reply Posted by aj on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 19:45

Id like to high light that when I went to the Deane... not that long ago, the teachers were outstanding. I left with fantastic grades some in subjects that aren't even taught in the school but teachers took time to give tuition in their own time. I always felt comfortable and at ease in the school. I have kept in touch and the school is excelling. I cant have been more happy with what I got out of school.

Reply Posted by Denise on Thursday September 13 2012 at 11:33

@greenginger Get of your high horse and stop bad mouthing the poorer areas, What area do you come from? most of the areas around here are former pit towns.
We may have problem children and lack of good teachers but thats true of most of the areas of the UK
and as for cctv its a good idea in toilets not in cubicles if you haven't got nothing to hide they won't bother you if you don't want to get caught then don't do it. BUT not in changing rooms privacy is key

Reply Posted by Wit on Thursday September 13 2012 at 14:14

Denise, the issue with students in economically deprived areas like The Dearne is not with the teachers, the issue is not 'problem children', but poor parenting. Children only become a problem when parents don't do their job properly. Discipline and regimes are the key to raising a child, not bending to their whims and encouraging ineptitude.

Reply Posted by Denise on Thursday September 13 2012 at 15:36

Wit, I wasn't the one calling them 'problem children' I was just commenting on Greenginger,

Reply Posted by Lyndsey on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 18:04

My school had CCTV, I never even noticed it. I was one of those kids who fell in with the wrong crowd, smoking in the toilets and in quiet 'blindspots'. There was an incident where I had a memory blackout and hit someone at school (quite hard) and the only reason I believed it had happened is because they had it on CCTV, showing me committing the act. I think CCTV needs to be in schools as there's a lot worse going on now than when I was there! As for cameras in the toilets, they're in the 'communal' area of the toilets, not the cubicles themselves and if they're in changing rooms they should be restricted to the entrance so you can see who is going in/out and just have motion sensors overlooking the changing rooms so you can see what is going on but not showing actual images.

Reply Posted by sarah on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 18:26

As other people have pointed out, cameras in changing areas/ toilets are only legally allowed to view the entrances/sink areas because of privacy areas. As a mither of a child who has suffered at the hands of bullies in school, which have resulted in head injuries and the bully carrying it on at home in the park chasing my child into a dual carriage way! I welcome the use of cctv as the buggers cant get away with it then. I involved the police to sort the bully out. Cctv is for the protection of the children. If you have been bullied or have had you child put through hell as I have you would welcome the security cameras. And for the recird I work in a school with cameras and feel protected myself.

Reply Posted by Jan on Wednesday September 12 2012 at 19:16

I agree with CCTV, it safeguards pupils and Teachers, should an incident occur, visual evidence is Key. I can't believe the outrage of the sugestion of CCTV to be installed in Residential / Care homes to act in the same way... Safeguard Residents and Carers. Visual evidence instead of one word against the other. Should you agree with CCTV in Residential / care homes go to: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/cctv-in-all-care-nursing-and-residential-homes.html#cb=f1075db464527dc&origin=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.gopetition.com%2Ff2a3fd7c0b08154&domain=www.gopetition.com&relation=parent&frame=f36aa166e9dfd72&error=not_authorized

Reply Posted by sarah on Thursday September 13 2012 at 10:38

they cant be switched on if they are in the loos as a gang of girls stand at a bus stop near me every morning why they cant walk to school beats me!! and they squeal about what they did with their boyfriends in the toilets the day before and these are yr 7 and 8

Reply Posted by greenginger on Thursday September 13 2012 at 19:38

@Denise

Through working in the area and yes attending the schools I know what the attitude of the majority of those kids are. I wasn't actually on my high horse but stated the fact that poorer areas often find it difficult to employ good teachers and without those students and educational levels suffer. If you do not believe me then look at the ofsted reports on the schools in poorer areas and those in wealthier areas. Surely if you come from such an area you need not be such a class snob and accept that some of us want better for the local kids? You are like so many people of Barnsley who have that labour based, union background, left wing but hating anyone you suspect may be better off than you. Grow up and break the mould.
I

Reply Posted by Denise on Friday September 14 2012 at 16:43

@greenginger
I am not a class snob as you put it,
I came from a council estate background if you must know in my day you respected your elders
you respected the teachers you respected the school there was no need for cctv when I went to school, nowadays it is totally diffierent teachers are thrown in at the deep end and left to fend for themselves they have no back up its not fair on the teachers and its certianly not fair on the kids.
I am NOT and never will be labour based with a union background as you put it
I do not HATE people who are better off then me. DON'T call them PROBLEM CHILDREN if you don't want any back lash. My kids have come through school in a poorer area and they got better grades than I did when I was at school so don't tell me there are no good teachers in the schools in this area because there is. I don't deal with ofsted because I think personally I'd drive myself potty with all jargon they come out with, I don't want to know about wealthier areas BECAUSE I don't live there. I live here enough said

Reply Posted by Andyclegg on Thursday September 13 2012 at 20:09

Go to the horizon it as more security staff than oak well on match days

Reply Posted by TA on Sunday September 16 2012 at 11:47

I think CCTV in schools is a good idea! They are not allowed in private areas such as toilet/changing stalls, just the communal areas. Many of our schools have children who (because of bad parenting) have no respect for anyone or any thing. They go around causing disruption and mayhem, knowing full well that the minuet a member of staff so much as asks them to stop it their parents will be storming into school, denying it was their 'little angel' causing a problem and threatening to take their complaints to the LA. I work in a school and see this happen EVERY DAY! Fortunately our schools have more supportive parents then not and the majority of the kids are fantastic. CCTV is there to protect everyone. Children and staff. Maybe the people complaining are the ones who would be no longer able to deny their childs bad behaviour if there is visual proof!

Reply Posted by kim jones on Monday September 17 2012 at 12:13

i think they are a good idea my little girls skool dosnt have them i dont think but it would put a stop to alot of things we have to remember there not just there to show parents how naughty there kids are there is some pretty nasty teachers out there n all

Reply Posted by nan on Monday September 17 2012 at 12:38

how can anyboby be against something that is in place to safeguard children at school. my grandson had only been at high school 2 days before the bullies decided he would make a great target because he is so small,luckily hes an alsation in a jack russels body and soon turned round and made it clear they'd picked on the wrong kid ,but he could quite easily have been a child who was intimidated by this behaviour by the way all this happened in the changing rooms ,an area where bullies feel safe because they are not being watched. this could have been anyone of your children

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