QOTD: Should Schools Use Laptops to Watch Kids?
Over the last few weeks there's been a lot of controversy surrounding the issue of schools monitoring students using school-owned laptops.
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?
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Shadow703793 mousemonkeyHELL NO!Couldn't have said it any better. This is a clear violation of privacy (esp. for a female student).Reply -
h0llow If i had a kid, I'd also agree. HELL NO! There are enough low life pedos out there. So... What if he is one? That's my feeling.Reply -
goldrocker I'm surprised You even considered asking the question. Ofcourse not! Especially not by laptops that activate and film you while you're away from school. Let that be a parent's job.Reply -
wenty Lets just let the government and school systems have our kids...... That way the parents can focus on being slaves to the elite.Reply
The American family system is broken.
Time to wake up people. -
4ILY45 Via Webcam? Over my dead body!!Reply
can't they just packet sniff the student's laptops when they are at school? -
swisscheez Why dont the kids just put a piece of tape over the webcam when they arent using it? Bam, multi-million dollar lawsuit with a pennys worth of tapeReply