Surveillance cameras in schools not the answer

To quell public anxiety sparked by allegations of child abuse in preschools, the Keelung City Government last month floated the idea of mandating the installation of surveillance cameras in every classroom. The proposal has drawn collective protest from the National Federation of Teachers’ Union and five major early-childhood education organizations nationwide.

While the idea might appear to offer an easy deterrent, at its core it is a classic case of cutting corners and lazy governance. Believing that a few cameras can eliminate incidents of abuse not only misses the root of the problem, but risks undermining trust between teachers and parents on the front lines, and further driving capable professionals out of early-childhood education.

Of course, there should be zero tolerance for any inappropriate or abusive treatment in schools, and unsuitable personnel should be removed from their positions in accordance with the law. There can be no ambiguity on this point. However, surveillance cameras are merely tools for reviewing evidence after an incident has occurred. They cannot prevent a crisis in the first place, nor can they ease the chronic pressures and heavy workloads that teachers face.

The reality on the ground is this: Non-public preschool educators earn an average monthly salary of only NT$32,000 to NT$45,000, yet each day they are expected to teach, care for children with special needs and handle a host of administrative duties. At the same time, they face the risk of penalties that can easily reach several times their monthly salary.

This combination of low pay, high pressure and heavy responsibility has left the early-childhood education sector with a severe staff shortage. If the Keelung City Government were to add round-the-clock surveillance, it would send the wrong message to frontline early-childhood educators: that they must be continuously watched to be considered trustworthy. This would only accelerate the flight of dedicated professionals.

Early-childhood education is not an assembly line; it is a profession rooted in human interaction and emotional connection. The tense atmosphere created by constant surveillance would only further reduce communication between parents and teachers to a defensive and adversarial exercise of footage-checking. Children’s safety concerns the future of the nation. The Ministry of Education should take a more active role in coordinating policy and providing resources, using systemic reform to establish sound, consistent standards nationwide.

What would truly protect children is not the background presence of cameras, but a stable and respected professional workforce. Central and local education authorities should work together to return to root problems and pursue systemic reform: Teacher-to-child ratios must be improved across the board and practical mechanisms established for substitute and relief staffing; an early-warning system should be created for staffing shortages at preschools, with proactive intervention before overwork reaches a crisis point; and there must be transparent, credible communication guidelines and channels established through which parents may raise concerns and teachers may seek outside assistance when under extreme pressure.

Cameras can record what happens, but they do nothing to improve education, nor can they prevent talented professionals from leaving the field. If we truly want to protect children, resources should be directed toward systemic reforms that improve working conditions. Keeping dedicated, professional teachers in the field is the strongest line of defense for children’s safety.