Intimate area under scrutiny: cameras installed in the restrooms of Kazan school

      The director of the Kazan school was ordered to remove cameras from the restrooms. The educational institution must not only remove all devices but also restore the trust of students and parents. Photo: Alexey BULATOV. Go to the Photo Bank of KP

      A scandal erupted in Kazan around school No. 18 on Mushtari Street — surveillance cameras were found in the men's restroom of the educational institution, aimed directly at the urinals. Shocking footage quickly spread across social media, causing a wave of outrage among parents and students.

      "This is too much!" — reacted the townspeople upon seeing photographs of devices in the most intimate areas of the school restroom. The Kazan Education Department responded promptly. An order was issued: the camera dummies must be dismantled by the end of the day.

      According to officials, the school administration took this step out of desperation. The restroom, they said, had turned into a zone of constant vandalism: the facilities were systematically subjected to destruction. Sinks were found broken, urinals damaged, toilet stalls destroyed, and technical cabinets broken into. Another problem added to this: the room persistently held the smell of tobacco smoke. "We were just trying to stop the lawlessness," admitted school representatives. According to them, the camera dummies were seen as a last resort for prevention — a way to intimidate violators and prevent further destruction.

      However, the method intended to protect school property turned into a scandal. Now the educational institution must not only remove all devices but also restore the trust of students and parents.

      The school's plans include a radical reassessment of approaches to preventing offenses. The administration intends to focus on educational work: meetings with students and parents, explanatory conversations, and preventive activities are planned.

      Yulia EFRIMOVA