School Nativity & Photos

[TeenPlusTwenties]

AIBU to do a pre-emptive thread about photographs/filming of school nativities?

Please if your school say no photos or films, then follow the rule.
If they say OK to photo/film but not on social media, then follow the rule.

This isn't about over the top concerns about privacy, not scaremongering there is a paedophile on very corner. It is about the important few children for whom having their location visible online could cause aggravation or real danger. Those who have fled domestic violence or have been adopted or similar.

And no, your 'right' to post on social media does not trump a child's right to be in their own school performance. Children shouldn't have to not take part, or be in a mask just so you can boast about Alex being third star on the left, or Mary or Herod.

Thank you.

YANBU. The headteacher always has to beg parents not to put photos or videos on social media before every assembly, he says he will revoke the rights to film if anyone breaks this rule and I’m with him 100%.

our school takes photos of the kids before the play and displays them at the end and you can then order as many photos as you want and the school takes your money and orders the photos. so much easier than trying to get a decent photo in a hall full of kids and parents.

Our school took individual photos of all the dc in their costumes beforehand and are selling prints to the parents at a small cost to raise funds for the pta. We were not allowed to take photos or film at all.

Sorry but why do my children need to be whisked away or asked to do something, what if they don’t want to? You are just alienating them again.

Sorry but why do my children need to be whisked away

because you don't want them on the photo?

Obviously teachers have a kind and subtle way to do so...

Sorry, @andpancakesforbreakfast - I am very slow today - apologies for misunderstanding.

To be fair, you do have a point if it's not done sensibly - the idea is not to punish the children, and making them feel excluded. There are plenty of ways a child can be asked to do something or go somewhere for a specific task that doesn't make him feel bad!

My kids were at a small school, it was strictly no photos but they took them and we could buy them at 30p each from the pta - the fostered child was removed from the group shots, it was common knowledge who it was and why (kinship care) so nobody questioned it

I think the teachers have enough in their hands trying to control 60 children without having to take some of the children away. What happens if there is a high percentage of adopted kids or ones with no photos allowed from parent due to domestic violence.
Imagine you are 4 or 5 and you have been practising your play for weeks, you know where to sit, what to do etc and then on the day you get told to go help someone with. It’s confusing and could be upsetting for them.

I run a Performing Arts school and we had to ban phones, iPads or any device that records from being used during any performance as we had/currently have kids that cannot for safeguarding issues have their picture on social media. The past 2 years now we’ve had to have some of our staff on look out during performances and anyone caught filming is made to delete photos and videos (we check recently deleted section aswell as people have tried to get away with that) while standing next to a member of staff (we do say this at the start of our shows and put it on the programmes). I understand sometimes family members cannot make a performance but that does not give anyone the right to possibly put a child in danger if someone found out where they were living. We do allow parents who have a genuine (class teachers discretion, and decided on a case by cases basis) to come into one dress rehearsal but a good reason is need as we always have 2 or 3 showings of our performances.

I live less than five miles away from my sons family and through work found myself greeted with a mantle piece full of pictures of this birth mum and older sister as I was in her cousin's house. What are the chances? So one slip and they would known where he and I am. Good post OP.

@andpancakesforbreakfast I will not have my son miss out on his play and to feel excluded just because some people can't keep their phone away.

I will not have my son miss out on his play and to feel excluded just because some people can't keep their phone away.

no one is asking him to do that, so not sure what your issue is.

Are you advocating the end of the class photo too, because your son couldn't be on them either? It's no different.

YANBU. We allow photos but say no social media. I just trust that that is adhered to but no way of knowing really.

It's not just at risk children nowadays. I'm at a private school so there's very, very few children who are no photo due to safeguarding (only 3 in the 14 years I've been there). But in the past few years there's been a growing number with no photo permission as parents feel it invades the child's privacy and it's up to the child to decide whether they want to be pictured on social media when they're older. That's just as valid a reason to have to follow the rules. Not your child, not your decision to make.

"In our class groups, all the parents who took photos/got good shots share them on the WhatsApp group so it means we always get loads of good photos of our kids."
Isn't that the same as sharing them on line? I wouldng like it is I knew other parents were taking pics of my kids and sharing them on whatts ap.

Also, you don't actually need photos of every single thing your child does. If it puts other chilsren at risk just take a photo another time.