Penny Sukhraj
9 May 2004
Johannesburg — Principal installs 16 closed-circuit TV cameras to watch every move
THE mysterious pea-shooter who hit Katleho Modisang in his Grade 6 maths class at a Free State school this week was quickly detected with the help of novel Big Brother technology.
Raymond Visser, Katleho's mathematics teacher at Leeuw spruit Primary School in Sasolburg, simply pressed a button and the next day the pea-shooter was unmasked as English-medium head girl Charlotte Mokoena - thanks to footage from a camera placed in the classroom to maintain discipline.
Charlotte, 13, admitted she felt "really foolish" for lying when she saw herself shooting peas as she had "completely forgotten about the camera watching us".
"I was also very afraid that my parents would hear about this. I was sorry and promised not to do it again," she said.
For her misdemeanour, Charlotte was given a demerit point.
The camera that caught Charlotte is one of 16 installed in the school four weeks ago at a cost of R100 000 in a hi -tech bid to maintain discipline. So far, it has proved to be a huge success.
Principal Piet Sevenster, the mastermind behind the cameras, said the closed-circuit surveillance system had been installed because teachers were frustrated by mischievous children taking advantage of corporal punishment being outlawed.
Sevenster, 49, who was appointed in January last year after teaching for 28 years, admitted he was old-fashioned and "very strong on high levels of discipline". He said his staff knew the new system was in the pipeline and in keeping with his motto: "Trust is good but control is better."
Sevenster is now able to monitor the school's 620 pupils without leaving his office. At a glance, he can tell what is going on in any classroom.
"Discipline was becoming a real problem, with children back-chatting the teacher. We even had cases of kids swearing at the teacher and showing a middle finger," he said.
"When you question the culprits, they deny it, and it's their word against the teachers."
But now daily recordings are made that provide "hard evidence".
Not only had discipline improved, Sevenster said, but the cameras had helped to solve two cases of petty theft - a stolen juice bottle and a set of game tokens.
Apart from observing the children's behaviour, the principal also monitors whether teachers are adequately prepared for lessons.
Sevenster said: "No one can argue when the picture on the screen tells the story."
The chairman of the school governing body, English teacher Ipsie Terblans, said the cameras were a huge relief for her.
"I just forget about [them]. I don't feel the principal is trying to interfere or anything."
She said that once the system was explained to parents, they believed it could work.
Mathematics teacher Raymond Visser said: "Discipline used to be terrible. Now we have proof of what children really get up to in the class behind the teacher's back."
But pupils have mixed feelings about Big Brother watching them.
Grade 7 pupil Thandi Mokho a natse said she approved of the cameras because they had reduced the rate of theft.
" Some cases [of theft] have been solved since then, and kids know they can't do that any more. Even I was caught, for being in class when I wasn't supposed to," she admitted.
Afrikaans-medium head boy Abel Wolfaardt said the cameras also restricted the behaviour of teachers.
"If teachers didn't like you, they might accuse you of doing something you didn't do, and give you demerit points for that. That can't happen any more," he said.
But English-medium head boy Jacky Mopedi was not entirely comfortable with the scrutiny.
"We can't even talk during class. We're just so totally aware that the principal is always watching us," he said.
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