Shanghai parents caught using watches to spy on teachers
Staff Reporter
2014-12-16
Students at a classroom in an elementary school in Hebei province, Dec. 2. (File photo/Xinhua)
When a mother of a student in one of Shanghai Pudong New Area's primary schools began talking about material that was still being taught before the student's class had ended, investigations turned up a remote network monitoring (RMON) watch on the student's wrist. The watch was able to record and transmit what the teacher was saying in real time, reports Hong Kong's Wen Wei Po.
The teacher's privacy has been violated, lawyers said. But more investigations revealed that quite a few parents have been monitoring their children's teachers around the city, and more are interested.
The teacher, surnamed You, found out on WeChat that her student Xiao Yu's mother was talking about what You had taught on the same day earlier in class. You wondered what had happened, because Xiao Yu was still sitting in her class.
The parents of other students later found out that Xiao Yu had been wearing a RMON watch during class, which enables the receiver to hear what the teacher is saying in class. "I was immediately upset upon feeling like I am being monitored and spied on," said You, who saw this as an expression of mistrust and disrespect.
What made You more uncomfortable is that quite a few parents responded by asking where they could buy such a watch for their children. After searching for RMON watches for children on Taobao website, You found more than 10 shops offering similar products.
Other teachers, after having heard You's story, began looking to their own students. More watches were found in other classes.
Why did Xiao Yu's mother want to listen in on class? She said that she wanted to know if her boy was actively participating in class and discussion. If her boy was being bullied, she would have evidence.
Another mother said letting her children wear an RMON watch will help her coach her children's homework.
In response, the Pudong primary school swiftly convened a gathering for parents, allowing teachers to express their concerns and queries. Parents apologized to teachers, promising not to spy on classes again.
Zhang Jiqing, a Shanghai lawyer, said that although classes in schools are considered public places, citizens, including teachers, also have a right to privacy. The monitoring of their classrooms is technically illegal, as well as a violation of privacy laws.
