QOTD: Should Schools Use Laptops to Watch Kids?

Media coverage of the lawsuit filed by student Blake J. Robbins of Philadelphia has been extensive. Robbins was disciplined for "improper behavior in his home" by the Vice Principal of his school and the VP provided a photo taken by the webcam as evidence.

The school has since said the monitoring software was installed to help identify thieves and maintains that the tracking-security feature was limited to taking a still image of the operator and the operator's screen. According to the school district, this feature has only been used for the limited purpose of locating a lost, stolen or missing laptop. A FAQ from the superintendent of the school district, Dr. Christopher McGinley, says the tracking feature or web cam isn't ussed for any other purpose or in any other manner whatsoever.

Today a new case has come to light in which a school in New York has been using monitoring software to keep an eye on students during classes. Very different to the school in Philadelphia, Vice Principal of the Bronx-based school, Dan Ackerman, openly admits to monitoring what the students are doing during school-time; though it's unclear if they keep an eye on them outside of school hours.

Today's Question of the Day is: Do You Think Schools Should Be Allowed to Monitor Students Via School-owned Laptops?

Jane McEntegart is a writer, editor, and marketing communications professional with 17 years of experience in the technology industry. She has written about a wide range of technology topics, including smartphones, tablets, and game consoles. Her articles have been published in Tom's Guide, Tom's Hardware, MobileSyrup, and Edge Up.