Edu dept mulls monitoring classroom teaching via CCTVs

NEW DELHI: The Education Department of Delhi government is likely to monitor the teaching methods of teachers in its schools through CCTV cameras.

"We are providing international and national level training to teachers. Hence, we think that if we can monitor how they are teaching, it will improve their work and also we will understand the problems," said a government source, adding that the CCTV project in classrooms is on track and the Department hopes to finish it within the set time frame.

Talking to Millennium Post a teacher of a Delhi government school, requesting anonymity, said, "If such plan comes it will also increase our credibility."

Recently, the Delhi High Court had asked the AAP government to explain the reasons and circumstances behind its proposal to install over 1.4 lakh CCTV cameras in state-run schools.

A Bench of Acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar posed the query while hearing a petition seeking direction to the authorities to not put CCTV cameras inside the classrooms.

While agreeing that the issue brought up by advocate Jai Dehadrai was "something to look into", the Bench wondered if the argument for the right to privacy of the children will apply, if CCTVs are placed inside classrooms.

In May, the Delhi government's Expenditure Finance Committee (EFC) had approved the installation of around 1.46 lakh CCTV cameras in state-run schools.

As student's safety is Delhi government's priority, the CCTV project – expected to cost Rs 587.51 crore – is aimed at ensuring the safety of students.