CCTV Footage Request

Summary

This policy outlines the conditions under which CCTV footage is shared with parents or guardians. It aims to balance transparency with privacy and adheres to ECDA’s guidelines on footage censorship.

Purpose

Clarify Usage: To establish rules for granting access to CCTV footage when a child’s safety is in question or if an incident has occurred.
Maintain Privacy: Ensure that only relevant footage is shown and that other children’s privacy is protected.

Scope

Applies to all schools that operate CCTV within their premises.
Involves incidents where a child is injured or their safety may have been compromised.

Policy Details

Conditions for Granting Footage
- Footage should only be granted in cases where an injury has occurred or a child’s safety has been compromised.
- Even in such cases, footage is provided as a last resort.
Parent Communication
- The school should report the incident transparently to the parents.
- If parents insist on seeing evidence beyond the incident report, CCTV footage may be shown.
ECDA Guidelines & Censorship
- As per ECDA guidelines, the footage must be censored to show only the child in question.
- The cost of censoring footage is borne by the parents if they insist on viewing it.
Viewing Protocol
- Parents may view the footage within the school premises only.
- No copies (recordings or screenshots) may be provided to parents under any circumstances.
MSF Official Stance
- The Ministry of Social and Family Development (MSF) has provided an official answer on whether parents can request to view CCTV footage. (See excerpt below.)
- Source announcement date: 1 August 2023.