Parents caused a scandal after installing a surveillance camera in the school toilet

Thanks to social networks, another ugly school scandal has come to light. In the village of Bolshoi Kamen, Primorsky Territory, the administration of the best “flagship” school in the area couldn’t find anything better than installing an angular-view camera in the girls’ toilet. Angry parents vented their feelings on social media, after which the local administration ordered the shutdown of toilet cameras.

An emotional message with photos and videos as confirmation appeared on one of the local social networks. Interestingly, cameras were installed only in the women’s restroom.

According to parents, the school administration motivated the installation of cameras by “monitoring the safety of property” and preventing “smoking and fighting in the restroom.” Parents were warned about this in chats, and an explanatory sign was hung next to the camera. And, they say, what’s wrong – the camera doesn’t film what’s happening in the booths…

As MK managed to find out, we are talking about school No. 1 in the village of Bolshoi Kamen. More precisely, about the new building of this school for 600 places, opened with great fanfare on September 1, 2022.

“This is the second year they’ve been running around with this building like a sack,” says the mother of a 6th-grader from school No. 1, Dayana (name changed). The regional minister of education opened it together with the director. This year the school was inspected by a whole commission: the head of the district, ministers, deputy ministers…

On the façade they wrote “flagship school” in large letters. The interior was done beautifully, of course – formulas were written on the stairs, the corridors looked like city blocks, with road markings and houses. But at the same time, the impression is that the new school itself is much more expensive than the children. Friends from the fifth microdistrict say that you won’t get into first grade there, although all this was built for their district. And when the school was opened, it took six months to decide who would study there, so that the children would not spoil the beauty. For example, they left us in an old building. And with the same desks at which we studied 30 years ago. But in the end, the new school is still overcrowded.

So they are shaking for this building, it is exemplary that I am not at all surprised by the cameras in the toilets. Although, again, everyone knows that students smoke not there, but behind the school.

“MK” also studied the issue of the school’s equipment – it is really good. School No. 1 has its own sports club, an accessible environment for children with disabilities, its own education center in natural science subjects, engineering classes, etc.

After the news about the cameras in the school toilet went viral, the cameras were quickly turned off by decision of the local education department. Now the issue will be brought before the school’s governing council. And, if he deems it necessary, the cameras will be dismantled.

However, the educational department notes that “not a single complaint has been received from parents or students regarding the installation of CCTV cameras in the toilet rooms.” And the cameras themselves in the school were installed for good reasons: in order to prevent bullying, the use of narcotic drugs and psychotropic substances, and smoking.” However, in earlier explanations from the school administration it was said that they decided to install the existing video cameras “to avoid damage to school property.”

The reaction of local residents is indicative: the majority were in favor of the cameras. They say that schoolchildren will now stop “vandalizing” there, smoking and fighting in the “tubzik” if they know that they are being filmed.

Although there were also commentators who wrote about the honor, dignity and rights of children. But immediately there were opponents: we also have a camera installed in the toilet at school. And no one objects!

“Yes, our parents are in favor,” says Tatyana from the seaside town of Spassk-Dalniy. “We had the toilets renovated at our school; a month later, at a parent meeting, the school principal complained that the toilet paper holders and liquid soap were broken. The hell was always going on in the toilets! It is simply impossible for a normal child to go to the toilet during recess. Either there is a column of smoke, or a showdown. Previously, the director could come in and disperse the children, but now everyone is afraid! What if their parents and children later accuse them of something…

“From the point of view of the law, installing video and photographic equipment in toilet rooms is a violation of privacy,” comments lawyer Stanislava Popov. – Moreover, if it concerns children, any filming of minors is carried out only with the permission of a legal representative. In our legislation there are only two cases when it is impossible to remove the word “at all”: this is a violation of state secrets and a violation of the secret of private life, the collection and dissemination of information about it. Data collected in this way is illegal and cannot be evidence of an offense.