BEIJING: The approach taken by a university in China, which installed dozens of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in one of its classrooms, has sparked controversy on social media for allegedly intruding on the privacy of its students.
The South China Morning Post (SCMP) reported that Baoding University in the Hebei province of northern China installed cameras, nearly one per student in its calligraphy teaching class.
Some students complained that it made them feel pressured, reported The Paper.
On March 4, a staff member at the university confirmed that there were classrooms equipped with cameras, and it was for digital media teaching.
"This is a digital teaching device for our calligraphy class.
"The camera suspended from the ceiling functions as a single unit with the touch panel on the table," he said.
He said the camera is not active during other classes and is only used during exams to prevent students from cheating.
According to a separate news report by Qingdou News, Sun Jianhua, the deputy department head responsible for installing the cameras, said the purpose of installation is to allow instructors to see students' handwriting through a digital screen in the practice room.
He said it also aims to enable students to upload their calligraphy homework to the cloud, thereby assisting instructors in grading.
The video recording shows students practicing calligraphy in the classroom.
Beside them, a digital screen records what they write.
"Is it a digital prison?" asked an online observer.
"It is an educational system and multimedia recording, not for surveillance," said a student, adding that the university where he studies has the same cameras.
China does not have specific laws regulating the use of CCTV.
However, anyone conducting eavesdropping, and invading privacy with installed cameras can be fined up to 500 yuan (approximately RM329) or detained for up to 10 days.