WARNING: This is Version 1 of my old archive, so Photos will NOT work and many links will NOT work. But you can find articles by searching on the Titles. There is a lot of information in this archive. Use the SEARCH BAR at the top right. Prior to December 2012; I was a pro-Christian type of Conservative. I was unaware of the mass of Jewish lies in history, especially the lies regarding WW2 and Hitler. So in here you will find pro-Jewish and pro-Israel material. I was definitely WRONG about the Boeremag and Janusz Walus. They were for real.
Original Post Date: 2008-04-18 Time: 00:00:00 Posted By: Jan
By Rivonia Naidu and Ayanda Mhlongo
A Durban school principal who installed security cameras to protect pupils and staff has angered teachers, who fear the cameras will be used to spy on them in their classrooms.
Parents have also been drawn into the row because no teaching is taking place as teachers downed tools earlier this week. Teaching has now been suspended at Roselands Primary School, Newlands East, until Tuesday, after teachers raised their concerns and unhappiness with the school’s revamped security system.
More than 20 teachers on Thursday said when they arrived at school on Monday for the second term, CCTV cameras and two-way intercom systems had been installed in their classrooms without their consent.
When the Daily News met with teachers on Thursday, they were standing outside the school, and for a second day in a row, teaching was taking place in less than six classes.
Principal Sithembiso Lushozi said the decision to install the CCTV cameras was taken by the school governing body.
“This is purely for the safety of pupils, teachers and the school property. There has been a scourge of attacks on teachers in other schools in this area and if this happens in my school, I want to be able to bring the perpetrator to book,” he said.
He said another aim of the CCTV cameras was to monitor pupils’ behaviour as he had received “horrific” reports of pupils bringing alcohol and weapons onto the school premises as well as reports of pupils sexually harassing others.
Showing the media five pocket knives and two bush-knives, Lushozi said: “These are just some of the weapons confiscated in the last year.
“I recently had an incident where I confiscated a knife from a pupil who was threatening other pupils with it. When I called his parents in to discuss the matter, they asked me for proof that their child had done that and I didn’t have any, but if this system was installed at that stage, I would have had the proof,” he said.
Lushozi said he was aware teachers were unhappy with the CCTV cameras and a meeting was scheduled for Monday to resolve the issue. “The teachers’ representatives were not at the meeting when the specifics of the new security system were discussed. But it was the representatives’ responsibility to find out what transpired and report back to the staff,” he said, adding the cameras were not installed in the staff room and teachers’ toilets.
“I tried to compromise with staff and informed them that should they come back to teach this week the cameras would be deactivated until Monday’s meeting was over. But they chose not to.”
Teachers, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said they were unhappy with cameras being installed inside their classrooms and described it as a form of policing.
“What is the need for cameras inside the classrooms… we don’t mind them being on the school grounds and corridors, but why inside? We are not criminals and hooligans.”
Teachers said they were never consulted about the revamped security system and their representative was not present at the meeting when the decision was finalised.
Priorities
“But even if we were consulted about the matter, we would have rejected the idea of cameras in classrooms as there are other priorities within this school. And we are more than capable of maintaining discipline.”
Angry parents said on Thursday that their children were losing out on valuable school time and it was not their fault.
“We send our children to school so they can get an education and we pay for it, but since last year they have had to suffer. I am really concerned about the quality of education in this country,” said a parent, Ntombi Ninela.
Ninela said that she was surprised by the teachers’ actions.
“It is a known fact that crime is affecting our schools. Teachers around the country have been pleading with the government to improve security and this is one way of doing it. I don’t understand these teachers,” she said.
Legal expert Simon Chetwynd Palmer said that, having looked at the South African Schools Act, he was of the opinion that putting up security cameras at a school would be permitted.
SA Human Rights Commission spokesperson Vincent Moaga said placing cameras in classrooms was not a violation of human rights as long as it is installed for security purposes and teachers and pupils were aware of them.
He said people’s rights would be violated if cameras were installed in toilets. An education spokesman said officials were investigating.