Photographing children in school

Hmm.. think this is a digital age issue! Also issue of family breakdowns as has been mentioned . I allowed parents to photo /video at my school but had unenforceable agreement that they would not publish photos with other kids in them on line on any social networks. This was mainly to prevent absent parents tracking child if not allowed access ( we had several kids from local refuge). For photos we took of kids we asked parents for permission to publish. There are probably some people somewhere who trawl sites for pics of kids and use them inappropriately. I do not know if it is such a problem that we cannot take pics of our kids enjoying themselves!

Once shocked colleagues by saying I had not stopped some Japanese tourists from taking pics of our kids on a school trip. It is a sorry state if we react as if everyone is a threat.

There are no actual 'rules' preventing parents from taking photo's of children in school activities and events. Schools have become increasingly confused about 'Good Practice' surrounding data protection. Although we now Home Educate, we were lucky that when our child was in school, the headmistress had an excellent understanding of the so-called 'rules, and was happy to allow pictures to be taken.

Here is the actual guidance;

www.ico.gov.uk/upload/documents/library/data_protection/detailed_specialist_guides/taking_photographs_in_schools.pdf

At my DGCs school any photographs that are taken at school concerts etc are taken by the school photographer and any copies that parents want are available at the secretarys office,they also take a video at Christmas panto and copies are also available if wanted by the family concerned .

The law about taking photos in public places is clear - it is legal to take pics of adults and children, and on the occasions when the police interfere to prevent photos being taken, they are in fact acting illegally.

Most schools seem to have a form for parents to sign giving permission for photography in school.

JessM, yes I so agree, I bet some of these parents who don't want their children photographed in school, are happy to put pics on Facebook

Hunt, I agree with your comment. Bagitha, yes I think my grandchildren's school has something like that in place but it works the other way, if even one parent doesn't sign then no-one can take photos!

I think it has got out of hand in the UK schools. The kind of photos that perverts are interested in are unlikely to be nativity plays!
I noticed in Grandparents Day at my GD's school here in Sydney that there was no such paranoia.
Greatnan makes valid point - but parents don't normally put photos in the paper.
I think seeking permission from parents if the school wants to put pics of kids on websites or publications.
I think the issue of Facebook is more pertinent perhaps - I know my DIL not happy when her friends started posting pics of her kids on their fb sites, without her permission. With tagging and privacy controls there is no way of knowing on Facebook who is seeing your family photos if friends post them.

Apart from protection from sexual perverts, I can see some mothers would not want their children's photo in the local paper because they have had to move to get away from an abusive partner or they could be in a Witness Protection Scheme.

At our school parents have to sign a permission each year to allow photographs taken of their kids by news media in case they are published. If the parents don't sign this then their children are removed from the photo shoot. Simple. Same rule in the Scout Association, which applies throughout the UK.

As far as parents taking photos at or of school events is concerned, there don't appear to be any rules, nor any problems.

Sounds like more south of the border unnecessary bossiness to me.

It is anomalous, isn't it , when parents are not allowed to photograph children in Nativity plays and then a picture of the whole cast is printed in the local paper!

The schools are handcuffed by the safe guarding rules. They have no choice but to enforce them because they are judged by OFSTED and can fail if they don't follow them to the letter.