EIS: Campaigners warned not to video online lessons

Scotland’s largest teachers’ union has warned an anti-school closure campaign group against recording online lessons.

The Educational Institute of Scotland wrote a cease and desist letter to UsForThem after teachers raised concerns about “requests being made…of its supporters”.

Teachers told EIS the campaign group, which wants to see children return to school as normal, asked its members to monitor and record virtual lessons over the coming months.

An EIS spokesperson said: “Having taken legal advice, the EIS has now written to this group.

“Scotland’s teachers are working to support young people under difficult circumstances, and the EIS will take all necessary steps to support and protect its members while they carry out this important work.”

The union said that teachers were alarmed and distressed by this but an UsForThem Scotland spokesperson denied such requests were being made.

The letter states that EIS has not been asked for consent to share recordings and that recording and monitoring of individuals has “a number of privacy and data protection implications”, specifically under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

EIS states its position is the publication of videos of teachers’ lessons is a breach of their privacy and data protection rights and is “actionable in law against UsForThem or the individual who recorded and shared the footage”.

The union’s letter states that UsForThem may be encouraging people to break the law leaving the group exposed to legal action.

Jo Bisset, organiser for UsForThem Scotland, said: “We’ve received the letter from the EIS and will be responding asking them to provide evidence of the claims made, because we certainly can’t find any.

“At no point has UsForThem Scotland asked parents to record and distribute online lessons.

“Our page is completely public and open – anyone in the world can go on there and see everything that’s been said.

“We want to work with parents and teachers to ensure the best possible standard of education for children in Scotland.”