CCTV coverage for the main secondary school for the Western Wards of Fareham is appropriate to ensure security for staff and pupils, the school said today (Wednesday September 12).
A report by privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch published today said some secondary schools had one camera for every 15 pupils, but Brookfield School deputy head teacher Ian Gates said they were content the number of cameras they had was appropriate for their needs.
The Big Brother Watch report found 90 per cent of schools had CCTV cameras with 54 schools in England having the ratio of one camera to 15 pupils or higher – with one for every five students in some cases.
Based on data from 2,107 secondary schools and academies, obtained under the Freedom of Information Act, the group found in 207 schools cameras were located in toilets or changing rooms.
Brookfield deputy head teacher Ian Gates said he would not disclose the number of cameras on the school site for security reasons, but confirmed those cameras in and around the buildings were to ensure a secure space for staff, students and visitors.
“We feel we have invested in an appropriate amount of CCTV to secure the students and the school site,” he said.
“The school has a number of cameras internally and externally to protect the security of the pupils and staff.”
He said there were no cameras located in toilet or changing areas and added: “The only ones we have are in public areas in the corridors. We have one in a classroom protecting expensive IT equipment.
“Otherwise we have cameras where large numbers of students congregate or the entry points in the school.
“I know some schools do put them in toilets because they get a lot of vandalism in those areas. I would assume that’s why they do it, but we don’t do that here.
“Where we feel it would aid security that’s where we put the cameras.”
John Payton, business manager who deals with CCTV at the Sarisbury Green school said: “Cameras will be used to monitor activities within the school and its car parks and other public areas to identify criminal activity actually occurring, anticipated, or perceived, and for the purpose of securing the safety and well being of the school, together with its visitors.
“The school respects the right of individuals to privacy. Under normal circumstances, we do not direct cameras at individuals, their property or at a specific group of individuals. Static cameras are not focused on private homes, gardens and other areas of private property. The number of CCTV cameras around the school site is considered sufficient for the safety and protection of students and visitors, without being intrusive, but we do respond to any perceived need for increased coverage. ”
Nick Pickles, director of Big Brother Watch, said: “This research raises serious questions about the privacy of schoolchildren across Britain, with some schools having one camera for every five pupils and hundreds of schools using cameras in toilets and changing rooms.
“The full extent of school surveillance is far higher than we had expected and will come as a shock to many parents. Schools need to come clean about why they are using these cameras and what is happening to the footage.
“Local authorities also need to be doing far more to reign in excessive surveillance in their areas and ensuring resources are not being diverted from more effective alternatives.”