AT LEAST one school is trumpeting the success of surveillance cameras on its compound in its fight against undisciplined behaviour by students.

Errol Bascoe, principal of Tacky High School in Gayle, St Mary, says since the installation of surveillance cams on the school compound, there has been a marked improvement in the behaviour of students - and teachers too!

In addition, the school has seen a steep drop in its water bill for the month of September, as students, afraid of the cameras, spend less time dawdling at the taps.

Speaking at an exhibition put on by the St Ann-based Moulton Security Systems, at SandCastles Resort in Ocho Rios last Thursday, Bascoe said the security system, which consists of cameras placed at strategic locations on the campus, and a monitor in the office, was installed by Moulton during the summer break.

He said the first catch was a past student, who left school in July only to return during the summer break to burglarise the tuck shop, not knowing he was being taped.

After classes resumed in September, several students, unaware of the system, were hauled to the principal's office after being caught red-handed.

But after getting wind of the situation, there has been a dramatic turnaround in student behaviour.

"The students are very afraid of the cameras," Bascoe told The Gleaner. "Everything has gone to a minimum in terms of bad behaviour. There is far less stress."

The teachers, too, have stepped up their behaviour, the principal stated. But there is additional benefit, Bascoe said.

"We paid $20,000 less for our water bill for September," he told the meeting. This, as students, fearing being caught idling at watering holes, spend less time at the taps, thus cutting back on waste.

Meanwhile, chief executive officer of Moulton Security Systems, Everol Moulton, said the success of the surveillance system at Tacky was indicative of the direction in which school administrations should go to fight the monster of student indiscipline.

"The situation at Tacky goes to show that we're on the right track when we proposed to schools that they install this type of system on their compounds," Moulton told The Gleaner.

"What we need to do now is to target as many schools as we can in order to help them improve their situation. If it means that they get funding from the Government or the private sector, or even through assistance from past students, or other means, this has to be done. It's the only way to save the youths from destroying themselves," Moulton argued.

Hopping on-board

Other schools are leaning towards the installation of surveillance systems, among them Marcus Garvey Technical in St Ann's Bay and Brown's Town High in Brown's Town, both battling to beat back the rising tide of misconduct in recent years.

Principals Leslie Riley at Marcus Garvey and Johnallson Feraria at Brown's Town have both requested the system for their schools.

"We have done site inspections at these schools to determine what each compound needs and have submitted estimates to the schools. The company is now waiting on their response in terms of down payments so the work may begin," Moulton explained.

He said other schools have shown interest in the system, some of them indicating that a funding shortage could be a prohibitive factor.

Jamaican high schools have been plagued in recent years by a major disciplinary problems, sometimes resulting in physical confrontations between students and teachers, as well as student-on-student violence which has turned deadly.