Swedish schoolkids under surveillance
The number of Swedish schools using security cameras to keep an eye on their pupils has skyrocketed in recent years.
In a survey conducted by the Swedish Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen) earlier this year, 20 percent of schools said they had cameras in place on their premises. Three years ago this figure was just eight percent.
Officials in Västra Götaland County in the west of the country have issued more permits for outdoor cameras in the first seven months of this year than for the whole of 2007, Sveriges Radio reports.
Ten years ago, Tensta Gymnasium in Stockholm was the only school in the country with security cameras. Last year alone, however, 104 schools schools received permission to begin using the technology.
In may cases schools are only permitted to film outdoors during the evening and night to help counteract vandalism.
Schools do need to seek approval for the use of cameras inside school buildings, although they are legally required to put up signs alerting pupils to the fact that there are surveillance cameras in operation.
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In a survey conducted by the Swedish Data Inspection Board (Datainspektionen) earlier this year, 20 percent of schools said they had cameras in place on their premises. Three years ago this figure was just eight percent.
Officials in Västra Götaland County in the west of the country have issued more permits for outdoor cameras in the first seven months of this year than for the whole of 2007, Sveriges Radio reports.
Ten years ago, Tensta Gymnasium in Stockholm was the only school in the country with security cameras. Last year alone, however, 104 schools schools received permission to begin using the technology.
In may cases schools are only permitted to film outdoors during the evening and night to help counteract vandalism.
Schools do need to seek approval for the use of cameras inside school buildings, although they are legally required to put up signs alerting pupils to the fact that there are surveillance cameras in operation.
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