Body cameras for teachers branded 'over the top'

Privacy campaigners have hit out at "over-the-top" moves to give teachers body cameras to record incidents of aggression or disruption in the classroom.

The cameras, similar to those worn by police, are being trialled at two secondary schools, one of which has a "history of pupils with behavioural problems", says The Times. The local education authorities have approved the measure.

Announcing the three-month trial, Tom Ellis, a criminal justice academic at Plymouth University, said the teachers had been offered the option of the cameras to film the students "when necessary".

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He told The Guardian: "Most schools now have some level of problems with low-level background disorder in classrooms and the teachers have become quite fed up with not being able to teach."

Footage will be stored on a secure cloud platform, similar to those used by police forces, he added.

Daniel Nesbitt, director of research at privacy campaign group Big Brother Watch, said: "This sounds like an over-the-top response to an age-old problem. These schools have to be very careful about how they use this intrusive technology as it risks turning teachers into snoopers.

"Parents and pupils must be kept fully informed about the trial and be given every opportunity to raise any concerns they may have."

A spokesperson for the Department for Education said the use of body cameras was "a matter for the school", adding: "The schools are acting within the law as far as we know, but we haven't investigated this matter."

The two comprehensives have not been identified so as not to interfere with the trial.