UCU warns against plans for lecturers to spy on students
16 March 2011
UCU said today that proposals for staff to spy on students would jeopardise the crucial relationship between students and staff and would, again, be given short shrift by staff.
The union was responding to reports that a review of policy on radicalisation, expected to be published in May by Liberal Democrat Lord Carlile, may call for more monitoring of students by lecturers. The union said the issue of spying on students has been debated at length by lecturers who have always rejected the idea.
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We do not believe it is appropriate or effective to ask lecturers to spy on their students. We have been down the road of asking staff to monitor their students many times before and lecturers have always robustly opposed the idea.
'If people wanted to go into the monitoring or spying game they could have become spooks. We believe that any proposals of this type would harm the important relationship between staff and students. Nobody will benefit from creating a climate of fear or suspicion.'
UCU general secretary, Sally Hunt, said: 'We do not believe it is appropriate or effective to ask lecturers to spy on their students. We have been down the road of asking staff to monitor their students many times before and lecturers have always robustly opposed the idea.
'If people wanted to go into the monitoring or spying game they could have become spooks. We believe that any proposals of this type would harm the important relationship between staff and students. Nobody will benefit from creating a climate of fear or suspicion.'
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