Parents banned from taking pictures of their own children at

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Parents banned from taking pictures of their own children at sports day
Parents of children at a primary school have been banned from taking pictures of their own children at the annual sports day.

(The source page has pictures, but they're too shocking to post here. 'Zilla.)

Mrs Ethelston's Church of England Primary School, in Uplyme, Devon, prohibited photos and video filming, claiming it was due to changes in child protection and images legislation.

It is the first time the school has taken such measures.

Parents criticised the move and said they felt there was no legal reason why they cannot take photos for personal use.

Jane Souter, who has a son at the school and is chair of the Parents Teachers and Friends Association, said: "It is a shame but that is the way it is all going now, you are not allowed to do a lot of things because of rules and regulations.

"A lot of the parents think it is a great shame. There are people who have been there for many, many years and they are upset about it, although they do not blame the school.

"It is sad that you are not allowed to take pictures of your own children.

"It is all to do with the pictures getting into the wrong hands and the school has to follow its own code of conduct. "I am sure the school do not like it just as much as we do."

Another parent, who did not want to be named, said: "Parents want to record achievements through their child's life and not to be made to feel that they are all criminals and are going to upload dodgy photos to some porn site."

They added that many parents were upset that they could no longer take photos and fear photography will be banned at every school event.

They said: "Speaking to many parents, they were extremely annoyed and exasperated and no one really knew why they couldn't take photos of their children as they done so in the past.

"Many seemed just resigned that it was a sign of the times."

They added: "Please, please, clear this ridiculous nanny state affair up."

A spokesman for the Devon local education authority said: "It's a decision which individual head teachers come to, usually with consultation with governors."

[Kristie]

That's freaking ridiculous! If they're not going to allow parents to take pics, they need to have a photographer take plenty of pictures for the parents to have access to.

[Thinking Aloud]

Aside from reading the thread title as, "Parents banned from taking pictures of their own children at Gawdzilla", could I just say, "Arrrggghh!"

This sort of thing really riles me, especially since my offspring are approaching school age. If their schools think they're going to enact that kind of nonsense, I will have things to say about it.

[Thinking Aloud]

That's freaking ridiculous! If they're not going to allow parents to take pics, they need to have a photographer take plenty of pictures for the parents to have access to.

For free.

And naturally, the photographer will have been through all the Police Criminal Records checks that one is now required to go through to even look at other people's children. (Been there, done that...)

[Animavore]

OFFS

[Gawdzilla Sama]

That's freaking ridiculous! If they're not going to allow parents to take pics, they need to have a photographer take plenty of pictures for the parents to have access to.

Sure, go ahead, support the kiddy porn industry!

Don't you realize those children are naked under their clothes!

[Kristie]

That's freaking ridiculous! If they're not going to allow parents to take pics, they need to have a photographer take plenty of pictures for the parents to have access to.

Sure, go ahead, support the kiddy porn industry!

Don't you realize those children are naked under their clothes!

I am a shutter bug. I take thousands of pic just on one vacation. If I can't take pics of my kids when they start sports and things at school, I'll be one pissed off Mom!

[Har]

It's really getting out of control. The sorts of innocent naked pics my parents took of me and my sis when we were kids, would probably get them locked up as sex offenders in today's mad world.

[Kristie]

It's really getting out of control. The sorts of innocent naked pics my parents took of me and my sis when we were kids, would probably get them locked up as sex offenders in today's mad world.

Yeah, my Mom has a pic of me and my sis in the tub when she was about 5 and I was about 2. I've always thought it was cute though. I have pics of my kids in the tub too. Maybe I should've have said that.....

[Shaker]

It's really getting out of control. The sorts of innocent naked pics my parents took of me and my sis when we were kids, would probably get them locked up as sex offenders in today's mad world.

There's a newsreader and journalist over here called Julia Somerville to whom exactly that - or nearly - happened. In 1996 the staff of Boots (for the colonials: High Street drug store that also does while-you-wait photo processing - they still do it, I think, even in the days of digital cameras) went to the police because Ms Somerville had taken a film in to be developed which contained some entirely innocent pictures of her kids splashing about in the bath. Julia's partner was met by detectives when he went back to Boots to pick up the snaps: the couple were arrested and interviewed by the child pornography team. No charges ensued, but the fact that it happened in the first place is bad enough. FFS

There's an article on it here. The quote at the end nails it:

"The case depends on what these pictures are, but I would expect that in every family album there are photographs of children running round naked and getting out of the bath, and it is a question of interpretation."

[Animavore]

This calls for the...

[Geoff]

[Psi Wavefunction]

Srsly... we're so obsessed with sterilising life that pretty soon just living will be dreadful. For everyone. Yeah horrible, unspeakable shit happens from time to time. That doesn't mean we must all collectively live in padded cells or anything... does it?

What about wars? Those are orders of magnitudes worse than anything that happens during peaceful times... why are those still 'legal'?

[charlou]

I'd get the families together who object and who are willing to ignore the ridiculous 'rule'. Either that or all boycott the activities. I prefer the former. Fuck 'em. What are they going to do about it? Expel all the families for wanting to photograph the activities of their own children?









Edited to amend unfortunate juxtaposition ...

[Hermit]

I'd get the families together who object and who are willing to ignore the ridiculous 'rule'. Either that or all boycott the activities. I prefer the former. What are they going to do about it? Expel all the families for wanting to photograph the activities of their own children? Fuck 'em.

Hah!

for that.

Next week: Taking children to school by car will no longer be allowed because of the chance of some of them getting killed in a crash on the way.