Teachers Up In Arms Over Computer Surveillance

Teaching unions have expressed their concern over the increasing use of online surveillance software to monitor the every move of teachers.
The software has been introduced in many schools all over the UK, in an attempt to put a stop to cyber bullying and pupils visiting inappropriate websites.

The online surveillance equipment is extremely complex, and can monitor a wide range of activity, including search engine queries, sites visited and emails sent.

Although there is little doubt that this equipment is effective in monitoring pupils, the union have voiced their concerns on the monitoring of teachers.

Chris Keates, of the NASUWT teachers’ union, explained:

“I think it is more widespread than we realise. There is surveillance of teachers in classrooms for all sorts of things.
“There is the big issue of CCTV in classrooms and two-way mirrors.
“I think laptop surveillance is being used to see how teachers are using their time, checking that they are not logging on to Facebook or looking at the internet for something personal.”
“It’s about professional trust and confidence. Teachers have more restrictions than their pupils these days”.

However, Richard Lawson, Telford and Wrekin Councils ICT Strategy Manager disagreed:

“We have had this for three years or more now and I have heard teachers say it is the best thing we have had.”

With plans to roll out the software in even more schools and colleges across the UK, it looks as though these concerns may fall on deaf ears.

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