At Last Someone Talks Sense?

spen666
spen666 Posts: 17,709
edited November 2007 in Campaign
Data Protection Act DOESN'T ban parents filming the school play
...
Schools were yesterday warned against misinterpreting data protection laws to ban parents from taking pictures at plays and sports days.

Information watchdogs said many were wrongly citing the legislation - designed to protect personal details held on computers from being abused - to stop parents recording treasured moments in their children's lives.

As schools gear up to stage nativity plays and Christmas concerts, the Information Commissioner's Office warned that the controversial Data Protection Act cannot be used to stop parents taking pictures or footage.

Jonathan Bamford, assistant commissioner at the ICO, said: "This guidance has been issued to reassure friends and family members that they can take photographs of their children and friends taking part in school activities for the family album without contravening the Data Protection Act. They can also film events at school."

Last month a primary school near Bradford had to reverse a ban after admitting it had misinterpreted the Act.

Paul Richardson, head of Sandal Primary in Baildon, admitted he had played safe and "wasn't aware" filming for private use was exempt from the legislation.

But heads will be within their rights to outlaw filming as part of school policy.

Many have cited fears the images could fall into paedophiles' hands.

Margaret Morrissey, of the National Confederation of Parent Teacher Associations, said: "Our policy is schools and parents must have a consultation.

"Parents should be allowed an opt-out if they don't want their particular child to be filmed."
Want to know the Spen666 behind the posts?
Then read MY BLOG @ http://www.pebennett.com

Twittering @spen_666

Comments

  • shazzz
    shazzz Posts: 1,077
    Many have cited fears the images could fall into paedophiles' hands.


    Oh, lordy!
  • Jon G
    Jon G Posts: 281
    shazzz wrote:
    Many have cited fears the images could fall into paedophiles' hands.


    Oh, lordy!

    This seems a bit silly as there are many other sources of pictures of children available anyway (such as recording children's TV programmes which contain children).

    The possibility of violent ex-partners locating and victimising someone through a chlid's location (their school) becoming public this way can be a bigger concern.

    Often the main reason schools like to ban filming of school plays, etc, is the unreasonable behaviour of parents doing the filming - pushing past others to get camera angles, calling to their child on stage to look at the camera, arguments when several parents all want to use the same spot for filming or when one stands in front of another's camera, etc. However, headteachers don't like to be seen criticising parents for lack of self-discipline, so they prefer to pass off the rule as one imposed from outside (e.g. data protection laws) or as designed to protect children from abusers.

    Jon
  • ContrelaMontre
    ContrelaMontre Posts: 3,027
    A bit like mobile phones being banned in hospitals. They don't interfere with 90 per cent of hospital equipment so technically wouldn't cause a problem. It's the disruption of wards of patients gassing away limiting Doctors and Nurses ability to work that hospitals ban them.
    Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
  • OffTheBackAdam
    OffTheBackAdam Posts: 1,869
    ContrelaMontre wrote:
    A bit like mobile phones being banned in hospitals. They don't interfere with 90 per cent of hospital equipment so technically wouldn't cause a problem. It's the disruption of wards of patients gassing away limiting Doctors and Nurses ability to work that hospitals ban them.
    Bugger that, the Drs & nurses spend more time on them! Number of times I've seen Consultants wandering out of ITU chatting away on the phone!
    Remember that you are an Englishman and thus have won first prize in the lottery of life.
  • ContrelaMontre
    ContrelaMontre Posts: 3,027
    That's true - it is always the consultants!! They're like the BMW or Merc drivers of the medical world!! Rules are only advisory to them!! Like hygiene - they think they're too God-like for germs to actually be on their clothes and hands! :twisted:

    [Sorry Spen for going all O/T - my bad] :oops:
    Rule No.10 // It never gets easier, you just go faster
  • chrisjsmith
    chrisjsmith Posts: 280
    When my wife went in for her c-section, they were sitting in the theatre chatting away on phones and munching on mint imperials!
  • ivancarlos
    ivancarlos Posts: 1,034
    The same thing applies to health and safety laws being misquoted to justify some killjoy's prejudices.
    I have pain!
  • richardjallen
    richardjallen Posts: 691
    Data Protection Act seems to be the reason used for all sorts of of mischief.

    Like the university I went to deleting my record and stating the Data Protection Act prevented them from keeping it more than 6 years when I know other universities have records dating back for decades. More like they were too cheap to buy a bigger hard disk.
  • carlstone
    carlstone Posts: 602
    When my wife went in for her c-section, they were sitting in the theatre chatting away on phones and munching on mint imperials!

    The bl00dy cheapskates, consultants could afford Ferreo Rocher, or rasberry ruffles at least :shock: :wink:

    Mind you I suppose they don't mask the smell of fags and booze as effectively :twisted:
  • Tom Butcher
    Tom Butcher Posts: 3,830
    They were probably the contents of the drugs cabinet rather than mint imperials.
    it's a hard life if you don't weaken.
  • chrisjsmith
    chrisjsmith Posts: 280
    They tasted like mint imperials ;)

Categories