School photos

I shocked. 😯
Speechless.

I can't even begin to imagine why anyone thought - even for one second - that this would be in any way acceptable. Why would the notion even cross their mind?

The company have said this is not their policy, however they are responsible for people they employ surely.
Apparently one little girl has impaired vision and wears thick glasses, the photographer suggested she took them off " to look pretty for her Mummy" dreadful.

Mollygo

Unacceptable!
The head/bursar is a fault here as well, because they are not allowed to hand out names and addresses of children/parents at the whim of some non connected body. Even staff have to have a good reason for needing the address of a child.

That would be illegal, it's against DPRs.

Unless the schools I work in are unusual (they are not) I would estimate that certainly in the younger age groups there are generally 25 % of the class who have additional needs, this is such an unpleasant and quite frankly weird thing to do.

The actual company, which has been going for many many years, may not have done the actual deed. Their photographers are freelance self employed individuals. Either the school suggested it and was complicit, or the individual photographer thought it would be a good idea.
The company by implication has now found itself in choppy waters.

Tempest.
They can sue me if they want. I suspect they will be too busy with damage limitation to bother.

Thanks JJ. I didn’t realise that.
Our class photos and individual photos are done by the head and he wouldn’t dream of doing that.
Parents are asked if they don’t want their own children on the class photos at the same time as they are asked about using their children’s photos on the school FB page or if the newspaper comes to photo an event.

If they have done it (and it is all over the papers) what can they charge you with? It's only slander or libel if you are lying, and you wouldn't be.

I think it's reprehensible. I really hope that parents don't buy the photos and the school(s) find another photographer.

Luckygirl3

Let us hope the school will not use that photographer again.

Most schools use them. It is a very big company.

I'm being careful not to name them as they might sue me!

Germanshepherdsmum

What disabilities are you talking about?

it's an inclusive school so it could be anything.

school were not aware so I don't think it is the responsibility of the school. @Mollygo these companies give you a link to your own personal account with your child's photos on, so you make the decision as a parent to log on and buy (if you want to)

Let us hope the school will not use that photographer again.

Very hurtful to the children that were airbrushed out and to their parents. Things must have changed since my children were at school, I remember one of their class photos had a wheelchair bound child fully visible along with his classmates, and another in an earlier year's class photo had a Downs Syndrome child, and of course they should have been in those photos with the rest of their peer group, we're not living in Nazi Germany for heaven's sake, where only perfect Aryans are acceptable. Honestly, shocking!

One child is a wheelchair user GSM and I'm sure the mother being interviewed whose D had also been removed said some of the children had special needs.

They didn't have to know which parent was which rafichagran two photo's were sent to each parent and one had any child(ren) 'removed' if they were disabled and I think if they had special needs.

What I don't understand is unless there's an obvious physical disability, how would the photographer know?

It's a horrible thing to have done and maybe all the parents can request the school contacts another photographer to have them all taken again, then this one wont get a penny.

Unacceptable!
The head/bursar is a fault here as well, because they are not allowed to hand out names and addresses of children/parents at the whim of some non connected body. Even staff have to have a good reason for needing the address of a child.

What disabilities are you talking about?

I read it and was horrified how dare they decide to remove some children They have apologised but I don’t think that’s good enough

Yes they do. It's not a small private photographer. It's a big company.

it is a big company that has done this too. I think they do the majority of school photos

I find this a contemptuous thing to do. I would never buy a photograph of him/her.
I would hit them where it hurts, in their pockets. How must the the parents if the disabled children have felt.
Also how did he/she know which parent was which.

What a disgusting thing to even contemplate asking parents of non-disabled pupils! I hope that school, and many others, blacklist the photographer in question.

Yes I heard it, was so shocked