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Bill providing legal basis for CCTVs in classroom sparks backlash from educators

Published: 22 Feb. 2026, 15:21

Prospective students and their parents look around a classroom during an orientation session for new students at Jeonggak Elementary School in Incheon on Jan. 6. [YONHAP]

A bill that mandates security cameras in blind spots in schools has cleared the National Assembly’s Legislation and Judiciary Committee, providing a legal basis for schools to install cameras in classrooms. However, educators have voiced their concerns over how cameras in classrooms could affect their teaching and lead to misunderstandings regarding student discipline.

The bill comes after the tragic death of student Kim Ha-neul, who was stabbed by a teacher in February 2025.

Although the law does not specifically require schools to install cameras in classrooms, the Ministry of Education said a school “can choose to do so if its school committee approves the decision.”

Teachers have expressed their concerns about the effects of cameras in classrooms.

“Depending on the angle of the camera, efforts to stop or discipline students could be misunderstood as abuse,” said an elementary school teacher in Seoul. “Teachers will feel forced to behave cautiously and rigidly so that nothing can be misinterpreted on camera.”

A middle school teacher in Gyeonggi added, “If parents petition [to install security cameras in classrooms], it will be virtually impossible for the school committee to reject it.”

Nationwide, 365,875 security cameras across 12,146 campuses were installed indoors and outdoors by the end of 2025, but only 916 of them, or 0.25 percent, were installed inside classrooms, according to the Education Ministry on Sunday.

Those working in child care have faced similar problems.

Twin prospective students and their parent look around a first-grade classroom at Changshin Elementary School in Busan on Jan. 6. [YONHAP]

A change to the Child Care Act in 2015 required day care centers to install security cameras — a move that has led to disputes between staff and parents, with some parents using footage to file complaints against teachers.

Under the Early Childhood Education Act, kindergartens are not required to install cameras. However, when they do, they also often face issues, as parents must obtain consent from all parents in the class to view footage.

“What happened at day care centers and kindergartens will repeat itself in [upper level] schools,” an elementary school teacher in Gyeonggi said.

Prospective students for the 2026 school year look around a classroom at Seoul Wirye Elementary School in Gangdong District, eastern Seoul, on Jan. 6. [NEWS1]

But some parents claim that classrooms themselves represent the largest blind spot in schools.

They argue that the lack of security cameras in classrooms makes it difficult for investigators to reconstruct sequences of events when needed, citing the case of 8-year-old Kim, who died after an elementary school teacher fatally stabbed her in a room that did not have a camera.

“We are not trying to monitor a teacher’s teaching style or their educational philosophy,” said a parent of an elementary school student in Seoul. “Parents and even teachers often are unaware of the violence that happens inside classrooms. If a security camera is in place, we can confirm if a student was harmed more quickly and respond to incidents sooner.”

The debate over classroom security cameras has also unfolded overseas.

In Britain, people generally consider installing security cameras in classrooms as inappropriate. On the other hand, India mandated security cameras in classrooms at about 27,000 public schools in 2025.

In the United States, standards vary by state. Alabama requires security cameras in special education classrooms following a series of teacher assault and abuse cases.

This article was originally written in Korean and translated by a bilingual reporter with the help of generative AI tools. It was then edited by a native English-speaking editor. All AI-assisted translations are reviewed and refined by our newsroom.
BY LEE HOO-YEON [[email protected]]