Today, surveillance has become a leading way to ensure students and faculty remain safe at school. There are definitely arguments to be made for both pros and cons of surveillance in schools, but firstly I'm going to relay a real story of a time surveillance had a positive impact.
"Without surveillance, us teachers would get wrongly accused on a daily." - My MOm (elementary Teacher)
My Mom, who has been teaching for 25 years at an elementary school, experienced firsthand how surveillance can be beneficial in schools. The incident that occurred involved a 5th grade student and her teacher during school hours. This particular student, my mom had worked closely with and expressed to me that they struggled with extreme behavioral issues on a daily, and often unpredictably. As a way of managing any lash outs, the school put in place a plan for the student to use a separate exit when it was time for pickup, that was often when the student's lash outs occurred most. One day, however, the student began to exit the opposite way than she was supposed to.
Her teacher noticed this, and calmly redirected her, but within seconds the student ran over to her and began aggressively shaking her fist at her face while yelling threats. When the principal contacted the student's parents about this, they immediately denied all claims, and insisted that their child walked away from the teacher. They also insisted that the teacher spoke disrespectfully to their child, which was also not the case. If it was not for the surveillance the school had installed, this incident could have been much more challenging and unfair for the teacher involved. Thankfully, the truth was revealed and consequences were properly given. This is one example of how surveillance can be a good thing in schools, but now let's discuss some cons...
"In 2021, US schools and colleges spent $3.1bn on [technologies such as cameras, facial recognition software and communication monitoring.] this number is expected to grow by 8% every year"
Most of the concerns around surveillance in schools are centered around privacy and the usage of constant monitoring. Individuals can feel like their privacy is being compromised or as though they're always being watched. Especially when it comes to education technology surveillance. "Students reported heightened anxiety, unease,...fear, [and] a degraded level of trust towards their teachers and school administrators [because of this]" (Cistone 2023). This is definitely something to keep in mind because if continuous surveillance is breaking trust between students and faculty, this could lead to a lot of restricting and unhealthy environments in schools. It's important to find a balance between safety and privacy as technology becomes more and more prevalent in our everyday lives.
"surveillance technology only makes us feel safer, but it doesn't actually make the kids any safer" - Chad Marlow
How Can We Use Surveillance Wisely?
Here are some ways that schools can continue to use surveillance in a positive way while respecting privacy...
- Transparent Policies : There should be clear communication between parents, students, and staff on why and how the surveillance is being used. This will build trust and ease any anxiety.
- No Public Record : Only authorized personnel should have access to the surveillance footage and should only be accessing it when necessary. This is a basic privacy right of parents and students.
- Never To Be Placed In Invasive Ares : Schools are strictly prohibited from placing any form of surveillance technology in areas such as bathrooms or locker rooms. Audits can be done to ensure the following of regulations and prevent overuse.
- Open Conversation : Engage with the community about the topic of surveillance technology and create a space where individuals can be free to voice any questions or concerns they might have. Again, this is a great way to build trust.
"Only by working together can we ensure that a future of internet surveillance does not infringe upon our fundamental rights to privacy and freedom". - Garmon
Check out this video by Common Sense Media if you want to learn more about how you can personally protect your privacy from online surveillance.
Resources
- https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2023/oct/04/school-surveillance-tech-aclu-report
- https://edscoop.com/data-privacy-advocates-school-surveillance-technology/
- https://surveillanceguides.com/avoiding-internet-surveillance-the-complete-guide/
- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fLBBJjqxDo
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