ALMOST half of Perth’s metropolitan secondary government schools are using CCTV cameras in a bid to combat anti-social behaviour and vandalism.

The Community Newspaper Group can reveal there are 41 government schools across the Perth metropolitan area that are using CCTV cameras, but this figure could be far greater because some schools are making their own arrangements to install CCTV.

Of the 41 schools with CCTV arranged through the Department of Education, 29 are secondary schools and 12 are primary schools.

There are 61 secondary government schools in the metropolitan area.

A Community Newspaper Group investigation has found that while there are no cameras inside classrooms, cameras monitor areas such as administration and reception buildings and canteens.

The Department of Education confirmed more CCTV systems could be rolled out in the next 12 months, but this would be done on a case by case basis.

Department of Education security manager John Marrapodi said generally cameras were mounted around the perimeter to observe people going into schools after hours.

WA Council of State School Organisations president Rob Fry said his group believed that constant surveillance was becoming “a fact of life” and “a sad state of affairs”.

“Unfortunately we have an element of the bully across all socio-economic groups. If the school community is supportive of these devices we are not the ones to say they are unacceptable… we could see merit in the school grounds but into the classroom may be one step too far.”