Schools not obliged to install CCTVs

TAIF: The Ministry of Education has said that it will not oblige schools to install close circuit cameras at their entrances and exits to monitor suspicious movements that may pose danger to pupils. The ministry also denied receiving such instructions from the Ministry of Interior. Spokesman for the ministry Mubarak Al-Isaimi said that there were no orders from the Ministry of Interior to activate CCTV cameras at the school entrances and exits, adding that social media websites published inaccurate information about the increased cases of kidnapping of schoolchildren around school premises. Social media rumors claimed the Ministry of Interior demanded the installation of CCTV cameras in schools causing many parents to inquire about this procedure from school principals. Rumors grew stronger after the kidnapping of Juri Al-Khalidi, who was taken and later found by the police. The girl is in a stable condition now and the family has been. Notably, some schools installed CCTV cameras before the rumors began to spread, purely for regulatory and control purposes. These cameras in fact had a positive impact in facilitating the follow up of students' movements and the monitoring of any negative behavior. -arabnews