As CBSE mandates audio-visual CCTVs, many schools already have it, some raise cost concerns

The board has mandated that cameras with audio recording features should be present at entry and exit points of the school, lobbies, corridors, staircases, all classrooms, labs, library, canteen area, store room, playground, and other common areas except toilets and washrooms.

The cameras should be connected to storage systems that retain footage for a minimum period of 15 days.

Sheetal Verma, the academic head at MIT Vishwashanti Gurukul Schools, stressed the importance of having camera coverage.

“It is not possible for the principal or teachers to take a round of a big campus. CCTVs are very important to monitor what is happening, even more so with sensitive issues. Bullying at the higher classes can be monitored with these cameras. At another school where I worked previously as the principal, a teacher was unfairly accused of being rude and shouting at a student. However, as we had audio-visual cameras we could prove to the parents that no such thing had happened.”

At the Pune campuses of MIT VGS schools, in Loni Kalbhor and Kothrud, Verma said that audio-visual CCTV cameras were already available across the campuses like classrooms, corridors, entry and exit points, and staff rooms.

The Kothrud campus has around 70-80 cameras and screens installed in the staff room and the principal’s cabin are used to monitor them live. At a few of the other campuses in the state, complete coverage was still to be achieved.

Nirmal Wadden, principal of The Kalyani School, said that the campus had complete CCTV coverage at all areas. As many as 380 cameras are present but only a few of them had audio recording capabilities.

Raising concerns over the cost, she remarked, “We have already purchased some new cameras. After these are installed in a week’s time, we will have 13 audio cameras. It is not feasible to upgrade all cameras to have audio capabilities. Audio cameras are high-end and the maintenance also is difficult. We have 30 days of storage but some schools might not have the required storage capacity. So a lot of money needs to be invested.”

The Kalyani School has a dedicated room with four screens and a security guard to monitor the CCTV cameras.

“I am not sure how much effect audio recording will have on bullying in corridors or the ground, because there is so much noise. But maybe we will know after we implement it,” Wadden said.

Akshit Kushal, the Chief Operating Officer of Suryadutta School, said that over 60 CCTV cameras without audio recordings are present across the campus with coverage in every classroom.

He added that some cameras with audio recording were also available, and the ones not having this capacity will be upgraded soon.

“We will convert the cameras to audio-visual capacity. We already have a 15-day storage capacity. In case we want the footage for additional periods we can download it from the cloud server and keep it for a longer time,” he said.

Sarika Babar, Director at Clara Global School, said, “We have two branches, in one of the branches, all classrooms have cameras with audio-visual recording. In the other branch, a few of the classrooms are yet to be fitted with cameras but all strategic locations are covered in this campus as well. We will eventually cover the whole school.”
Students damaging the cameras and high costs are a concern with CCTVs, Babar said.

“Sometimes the internet is not working so the backup doesn’t happen. The cost is also a factor. Outdoor cameras also get spoiled due to weather or the lenses get blurred,” Babar added.