Can the media photograph students in classrooms?
• Schools need to obtain parental consent before allowing those outside the school, including parents, visitors, or media, to take photographs of students at non-public events. Consent is required only if individual students are identifiable in the pictures. • For example, if the newspaper wants to interview and photograph the Grade 6 student who had the highest marks, the school must get parental consent first. If the newspaper wants to photograph the school’s new computer lab, it could photograph the students from the back, in a way that did not identify individuals, without requiring consent. • The media are expected to behave responsibly and co-operate with schools that have invited them to participate in school events. • Schools should be proactive by communicating with the local media and agreeing upon guidelines in advance of inviting media into the schools.
