Union attacks Big Brother CCTV plan for exams

Date article online: 16/04/2008

Plans to use CCTV to spy on students sitting exams have been branded as Orwellian.

The Examination Officers’ Association is planning to test the move in a small number of exam halls to stamp out cheating.

Chief executive Andrew Harland said devices like pens fitted with voice recorders were making invigilators’ jobs harder. He also believes it would protect members against unfound complaints of harassment.

However, Eileen Orriss, of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers, likened the proposals to Big Brother.

She is concerned about the cost and the right to privacy in the workplace, and she added: “My personal feeling is it is the thin edge of the wedge. The ATL has already stated that we don’t want CCTV in classrooms.”