AIBU to be very annoyed that I have just found a newspaper photo of my DC's on the internet.

[nolembit]

I have just been looking at our local paper online and found a picture of the entire school including my DC's with the local MP.

I fill in a photographic permission slip every year which states that my DC's picture cannot be used on the web.

I am fuming and don't know whether to speak to the school or the newspaper. I am also annoyed that this put's me in a very difficult position wrt other parents/school as they will not have the opportunity to take another picture without my DC's. I am so mad in fact I am livid!!!!!!!

Can I just add that my another SIL has a DH with an Ex from hell. She is a photographer and has photoshopped SILs son into a really nasty photo and we've found that on line. We can't prove it because it isn't clear, but it is him.

'other' not 'another'.

when i worked at a school, there was one child who wasn't allow photo's done... as the ta he helped me put the pe kit out and another time helped me do photo copying we made sure he had something to do that was fun for him ( he loved helping)

You don't have to justify your reasons for not wanting your children's pictures being publicised OP. I can't understand the mentality of people that don't understand this!

There are a whole host of reasons why someone wouldn't want their child's picture on the internet or in the paper, the most obvious one that springs to mind being cases of domestic violence where a Mother has had to leave and remain unknown to her her abuser.

The school have seriously screwed up here, you should make sure that they realise the seriousness of this. They have a duty to safeguard your children and they are failing in that duty. They need to know that this is not something that can be taken lightly.

As a nursery worker we have had one child that couldn't be photographed for serious personal reasons. Yes, it could be a pain in the arse at times, but that's our job!

Glasses You're not getting it, really you are not.

The terrifying thing is knowing that someone could find your child, that there are ways. But that doesn't mean we have to make it any easier for them, does it?

Don't our beautiful, innocent children deserve to be kept safe? And I'm not talking about from some shadowy, unknown Mr Boogie man - I mean from known threats. We have a known threat that means we do everything we can to keep the DC safe.
With your attitude we might as well not bother and accept that if somebody wanted to get them they will anyway.

glassescase if there was no risk then there would not be laws in place to prevent this from happening.

YANBY

a picture of the entire school, including your DCs? That would be about 150 kids? THerefore each kid will be about 4mm high? I don't think your DCs are in any danger of being recognised if that is the case.

If it's in the local paper, it make no difference whether it's on the web or not as it is still in the wider public domain.

You made a clear response to a request from the school. They've fucked up - and badly.
All right is on your side - & yes you should absolutely go in all guns blazing.

The issue of whether you had reason to or not is utterly irrelevant - it is your decision to make, and you communicated that clearly to the school. End of.

YANBU - these were your wishes and they weren't adhered to. I am a bit unhappy with school photos too, especially if names mentioned, but irrespective of whether people agree with you, you have the right to have your wishes carried out at school.

TBH I can't think of any "internal" purposes a school has for photos, even photos to show off a school project or whatever are likely to be put on the school website. It would be easier/safer in your case to say no photos, full stop.

glassescase in the industry I work in there is something called the Swiss Cheese theory, which basically says there can be holes in a plan, but the more holes there are, the more chance there is the holes will all line up and you will fall through a fucking great big hole that wouldn't have happened if there hadn't been so many little holes.

If you work in education, and are unconcerned about photos (and by that implication, information that could identify people) then perhaps you might like to post a bit more info about where you work. Because, frankly, you are one great big hole waiting to happen if you believe the OP is 'precious.' There are a lot of bad things out there in the world, and education and childcare professionals should respect a parent's wishes as very often you cannot begin to imagine the things that could happen, when a parent can. Some people work in very sensitive areas - they do not need to justify what they do or why, in order for teachers and school staff to give very real respect.

YANBU.

The fact of the matter is, you told the school not to share photos of your DC. The law requires them to obtain permission before sharing photos, which in this case they did not do. Therefore, they are in the wrong.

Whatever people's personable opinions on how necessary it is not to publish photographs of children online, the school in this case disregarded the expressed wishes of the OP. And from the statements the OP has made, I'd say she has bloody good reasons not to want pictures of her DC online!

For any child genuinely at risk- and for whom a tiny, un-named picture in a paper would be a disaster, there are many more who are just being precious pains in the ass. And I'm not telling you where I work, you might go looking for photos..

iggagog the school takes photos for the children's personal record of achievements. For example charity walks, scientific experiments, playing a musical instrument etc. Areas of the curriculum the child takes part without a written record.

a tiny un-named photo might not be a big risk. But its not your right in your school role to take that risk with someone elses child.

I can't see them being identified because they 'look like your DH'

Lots of kids could look like your DH?

YANBU though if you've made it perfectly clear to the school

glassescase perhaps you should familiarise yourself with the Data Protection Act and BTW the picture is not tiny.

It is considered "good practice" to record evidence of achievements with photos. I was asked at my Year 2 moderation why I hadn't photographed the children doing practical maths and science as the evidence for my APP jusgements rather than just taking notes on my planning and assessment sheets. And for those concerned; has anyone had a look at the number of photograph's in their EY child's Learning Journeys? With other children in uniform in the background.

Glasses Yes, absolutely there will be some cases where people just don't want their DC in photos, for particular safety reason BUT for those of us who have a threat it is really, really important that the school follow those policies.

After all, what is the point in the policy and the permission slip if they don't follow through with it? How does an individual teacher (and I am one I ought to point out) know which parents are being precious so ignore their request for no public photos and which children are at risk? They can't! So they need to check every time and follow. the. policy. every. time.

For any child genuinely at risk- and for whom a tiny, un-named picture in a paper would be a disaster, there are many more who are just being precious pains in the ass. And I'm not telling you where I work, you might go looking for photos..

Are these the same PITA parents who next week will be thanking you for everything you have done for their DC over the past year? If only they knew the truth.......

All familiar here!

Oh, and the pupils themselves thanked me last week!

ScaredyDog - Can't see why it's too much hassle for school to text me to tell me the local paper are coming to take pics. They have a text service and send me all kinds of other messages.
There are some times that it's OK for DCs pics to be in the local rags and other times when it's not, depending on whether someone is threatening H or not. Luckily they tend not to be capable of bearing long term grudges and quickly move on to target someone else, but there are occasionally times when we're not safe.

Nolembit - my reasons are for the same as yours, same "client" group.

I don't think it's fair to keep DCs shrouded permanently, but there are times when it's necessary to do so and I think it's easier for school just to fire off a quick text (which, like I said, they do for other things anyway) then to have to keep changing written permission.

Of course YANBU.

Send a polite but strongly-worded email to the newspaper and HT; the newspaper will pull the photo immediately. While you are within your rights not to explain your reasons, it will help your case if you do, they'll move faster.

And look, I have no doubt your kids are well warned and duly suspicious. These people can only thrive where they have the trust of the children and adults around them. Even if someone with a vendetta happened to put two and two together (and unless there's been some specific threat made against your DH/kids you haven't shared, I'd be surprised) if someone unusual, say, hangs out at the school gates people will know. The beauty of living in a village is that someone unusual will be spotted straight away, and the police will be on to them. But like I said while you're right to be cautious, it's unlikely. Just have them pull the photo and give the head a kick up the bum, it'll be fine.