CCTV In Schools

Closed Circuit Television (CCTV) is something we are getting increasingly used to as part of everyday life. It is used to record and monitor behaviour and activity, and is largely used as a way to deter, identify and capture criminals.However, it may come as a surprise to some to learn that CCTV is increasingly being used in schools. In many schools these days you’ll find CCTV in school corridors, CCTV in classrooms and even in some bathrooms.

CCTV in schools - why?

As CCTV is usually associated with crime, you might wonder what the purpose is of CCTV in schools. There are in fact of number of reasons that education authorities are choosing to install CCTV systems in schools:

• There are increasing fears about intruders in schools and CCTV in schools is used to act as a deterrent to intruders
• CCTV in schools can be used as a deterrent for vandalism and grafitti
• CCTV in schools can put students off playing truant and catch them if they do
• CCTV in schools can alert staff to any problems with smoking or drugs and help them get to the bottom of such matters
• CCTV in schools can prevent students misbehaving in lessons and protect the teachers from any false accusations
• Having CCTV in schools can prevent and deter cheating in exams

Concerns about CCTV in schools

Although more education authorities are installing CCTV in schools, CCTV is obviously a controversial topic and some people do have concerns about the use of CCTV in schools.

The main concerns about CCTV in schools are:

• Installing CCTV in schools or anywhere can be expensive. Many schools are already cash-strapped as it is and some people wonder if CCTV in schools is a good use of money.
• Some people are concerned that the footage from CCTV in schools is taken and possibly distributed without students’ or parents’ consent.
• Some people’s feeling is that CCTV is an invasion of privacy and a cynical development of modern life. These people may find it especially depressing/worrying that it is now common to find CCTV in schools.
• One argument against CCTV in schools is that it creates a lack of trust between pupils and teachers and that CCTV in schools could actually make things worse rather than better.

If you are considering installing CCTV in school it will be absolutely imperative that you have an open and frank discussion with the parents about the use of CCTV in your school. Parents have a right to know if their children are going to be recorded by CCTV and the reasons for the installation of CCTV monitoring systems and this should be clearly defined and justifiable.

CCTV in schools: Good practice

• If you are going to use CCTV in school put together a school CCTV policy. The school CCV policy should include details of why CCTV in the school is being installed, how the school CCTV system will be used and what will be done with the school CCTV data.
• Use signs around school alerting people to the use of CCTV in school. Make sure the CCTV is school notification signs are in prominent places. Include the contact details of the person in charge of the CCTV in schools programme.
• You will probably need to register your use of CCTV in school. You only don’t have to register school CCTV if there are less than 3 cameras or the CCTV cameras don’t move.
• Produce documentation showing that you have thoroughly considered the reasoning for CCTV in school and that you have justifiable reasons for installing CCTV in schools.

Many schools have had success with CCTV in schools. If you decided to install CCTV in your school, there are likely to be some concerns expressed by pupils, parents and even teachers, but CCTV in schools can work well and accepted by many as long as you operate the CCTV in school system honestly, transparently and with clear and open communication with all involved.

CCTV in your school if you seek advice please contact us for further information about the merits of installing a CCTV system in your school