Nottingham’s Selston High School has been criticised after installing CCTV cameras in its bathrooms, with one former pupil describing it as an invasion of privacy.
The ex-student claimed that the cameras, which have been placed on sinks, had been transmitting footage onto TV screens displayed in the school corridors.
“It’s a big issue,” the student told Nottinghamshire Live. “In the beginning, we thought it was weird, but they soon placed TV screens outside the toilets which broadcasted the footage onto the corridor. Despite not being able to see into the cubicles, many said it felt like an invasion of privacy, as we should be able to use the toilets and leave without the need to film it on the corridor.”
They added that “it seemed as though CCTV was only placed to see what they wanted rather than what was needed. Students were told they cannot say no to members of staff, and should they want to disagree they need to wait until after the lesson to do so. However, in application to the real world, this mindset becomes dangerous. Teaching kids that they are forced to say yes and agree with their elders as respect is dangerous; an idea that you should respect people either older, or more powerful than you are always right and that what they are doing is correct.”
In response to the issue, Selston High School said in a statement: “We have a number of cameras across the school which cover several areas of the premises. All cameras, including those which were placed in the sink areas of the toilets, were installed following consultation with external experts, however, following consultation with staff and students in recent months, the school has decided cameras focused on the sinks will be deinstalled and removed.
“The cameras have been out of use for some time already and are scheduled to be taken down. We strive for a culture of kindness and respect across the school and utilise a number of mechanisms to listen to student voice. As part of this we have a student council that feeds into key decisions across the school and run assemblies which encourage students to be respectful when communicating with others and respond positively to challenging situations. We welcome our students’ thoughts and opinions and believe that voicing them in a constructive way is an important part of their development.”
