CCTVs in school toilets, ministry to probe

The Education Ministry has begun investigations into allegations of a secondary school that has outraged parents by installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in both its male and female toilets.

Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan confirmed that investigations into the matter are currently underway.

“We are currently investigating the allegations and also if the ministry was consulted (in approving the CCTV installation).

“We are also looking into the reason for the cameras and its impingement on the children’s privacy,” he told Astro Awani.

In the latest school-related controversy that has hit the nation after the infamous eating in school ‘toilet’ incident in SK Seri Pristana, a local daily today reported that SMK Seri Sentosa has installed CCTVs in its toilets in an attempt to curb social ills like vandalism and loitering.

The school which is said to have installed 64 CCTVs costing RM100,000 reportedly did so with the Education Ministry’s approval.

The move has sparked an outrage among unsuspecting parents, who claim ignorance over the incident.

The parents had said they have never received consent letters allegedly sent out by the school in June to seek their approval over the cameras.

The parents will decide on their next course of action today.

In defending the move, the school’s headmistress Hajah Rahmah Abd Haji had said that letters of consent had been sent to parents of all 2,100 students and that initially, only 30% of parents reacted negatively.

According to her, that 30 per cent had since changed their minds after hearing the school's explanation on the need for the CCTVs.

Rahmah had said that the CCTVs only point towards the sinks and cannot be moved to face the toilet cubicles.

Rahmah added that only she is authorised to view the CCTV footages, which she does whenever a complaint comes to her knowledge.