Parents were furious when they were told they would not be allowed to photograph their children's first nativity play. One mother said, 'They are making everyone lose out on a very precious part of their family's life. No group photos were allowed. It was only your own child propped against a bare wall. It was such a shock and disappointment.'
Headteacher Harry Burnett said, 'We are consulting with parents and staff at the moment and working with our school board and Parent-Teacher Association to review our procedures.'
He added that, with 320 families in the school, it would take some time to collate answers to a questionnaire given to all parents. The school made a video of the nativity play, but parents will not have access to it until the review is completed.
A spokesman for Aberdeenshire Council said the increasing use of cameras at performances distracted both the children and the audience. He said that by law no-one is allowed to photograph a child under 16 without parental permission, so if one parent objects, no filming or photography can take place. However, there had been no parental objections to filming or taking photos at the nativity.
Edinburgh City Council recently banned photography at nativity plays and other school events, prompted by fears that images might be used by paedophiles, but had to overturn its decision following a public backlash (Nursery World Scotland, 19/26 December). Perth and Kinross also backed down from a similar ban.
Aberdeenshire Council has rejected the idea of a ban, though discussions were going on in the education department.
