five raises legal concerns

SHA sent a strongly worded letter to Channel 5 in April, expressing dismay at the underhanded methods used to produce a programme on pupil behaviour. In the 'documentary', a supply teacher secretly taped students acting out in the classroom.

SHA's letter expressed concern about the legality and ethics of using a concealed camera without permission of the people and schools involved and about the duty to protect the identity of children.

The letter continued: "A teacher is not a passive recipient of classroom interaction, but should be the instigator and focus of it.

"You have colluded with someone who has acted dishonestly in obtaining employment as a teacher when her real objective is not to educate children but to create a documentary programme - her interest clearly being to foment rather than to calm bad behaviour."