One of the main reasons that Nanny is able to get away with a lot of what she does is the sheer blind ignorance and stupidity of people in low level positions of responsibility (eg teachers, local councils, HR departments etc) who, because they choose not to understand the law, opt for the safest course of action and impose a blanket ban on activities citing excuses such as "health and safety", "risk" "insurance" etc.
When these people are pressed to show the precise law which forbids a certain action, more often than not they cannot find it because it doesn't exist.
Such is the case of the nonsense over the banning of photographs by parents of their children in school plays etc. Schools in Greater Manchester have finally been forced to admit that there are no laws banning parents from photographing or filming nativity plays.
What a farking surprise!
In recent years, some headteachers have wrongly claimed that the Data Protection Act prohibits family members from taking pictures of pupils at the annual Christmas performance.
Why?
Simple, they didn't bother to ask a professional to check the law and opted for the safest and easiest course of action; ie they imposed a ban. The fact that the ban made no logical sense was immaterial to Nanny's lickspittles.
However, the Wilmslow-based Information Commissioner's Office (which oversees the 1998 Act) has stepped in and has issued a guidance note in respect of this year's round of nativity plays.
It is of course quite absurd that they should have to waste time and money on this.
Assistant Commissioner Jonathan Bamford said:
"The guidance has been issued to reassure
friends and family members they can take photographs
of their children and friends taking part in
school activities for the family album without
contravening the Data Protection Act.
They can also film events at schools.
The Data Protection Act should not be
wrongly cited to stop people taking
photographs or filming videos."
Four years ago, St James RC Primary School in Hattersley, became one of the first schools in Greater Manchester to introduce such a ban, although it did not specifically cite the Data Protection Act. In other words it couldn't even be bothered to justify the ban.
Then headteacher Barbara Robinson said she was following guidelines set down by the Catholic Diocese of Shrewsbury, which governs the school, in response to "child protection" issues.
Complete bollocks of course, yet regrettably the parents simply rolled over and accepted it.
Current head teacher Jackie Walker said:
"Now we send out a permission slip to parents
asking for their consent for their children
to be photographed, at plays and for press and publicity."
What kind of a lesson does that teach children, whereby the state forbids even your own parents from photographing you?
Nanny maintains her power over us because the lower ranks of bureaucrats, teachers and councillors in this country are weak and ignorant.
"nativity plays?" . . . "Christmas performance?"
ReplyDeleteNo wonder these educrats don't want pictures taken. They're afraid for their own careers once Nanny gets wind of what they're up to.
Ban on photographs.....I suspect it is more about having to buy official photographs from the school's photographer. Of course the school gets it's cut...Kerching
ReplyDeleteWhile we are on the subject....School uniforms at our local schools can ONLY be purchased from the school uniform shop in the school as the uniform has school emblems on it....Example plain white tee shirt with school badge printed on pocket £9...Plain white tee shirt from high street supermarket with out said school badge £1-50p....A nice little earner for the school...Kerching.
We really do live in rip off Britain don't we?
For 'weak and ignorant' read 'strong and virulent'.
ReplyDeleteThey can do more harm than you might imagine, even when they do nothing.
Hell, especially when they do nothing.