A report on Radio 4 this morning said that music teachers are being told by their union to not physically touch their pupils, to avoid claims of abuse. Julian Lloyd Webber thinks it is a step too far as this might prevent children from learning properly. He said "Nobody hates paedophiles more than I do" but that all teachers are checked and the problems are exaggerated.

Nobody seems to have thought of installing cameras in music rooms. The cameras would record all the interactions and so the teachers could help the children as normal.

The wider picture is that children are in more danger of growing up without physical interaction which is an important part of human development.

I agree with Julian Lloyd Webber that common sense needs to be applied. Society is too paranoid.

This just reflects society. Many music teachers now have parents sitting in on lessons as part of the deal due to these issues.

The False Allegation industry is alive and kicking fanned by greedy lawyers who know it is an easy case to prosecute because it requires little real evidence if any.

Therefore an abuser will get treated like the "Cash Cow" that they are !! and that attention can be addictive to people involved in the entertainment industry.

Ever since the Moral Panics have been created there is a trickle down to ordinary life. A 13 Mariah Carey wannabe or Will Young wannabe will probably have a better chance of riches and fame through a false allegation than having to work hard for a music career.

Sad times we live in.

I would change the law and make all cases anon until conviction to do with any sex or thought crimes. In addition compensation should only be given to those who win their case. Which would stop the finance carrot being dangled in front of those in fincancial hardship.

This would then mean that most allegations would have a better chance of conviction because two elements of why people make them without any truth would be removed. The thing is the "Government" wants to have this "smear" tactic ready for anyone they dont like....after all the "police have to investigate every complaint and allegation"........

There is a rumour doing the rounds already about allegations against a big TV star and the market is growing for false allegations when somebody has a high profile.

The usual way to suffocate such things is to link up with a major media player and a charity project.

Dominic Dee wrote:
Nobody seems to have thought of installing cameras in music rooms. The cameras would record all the interactions and so the teachers could help the children as normal.

I think that is precisely the point of this latest stupidity. By making this "a Problem" (nobody allowed to touch), it provokes a Reaction... we all think it's outrageous, so what can be done?

Solution - install cameras to spy on ever more of our everyday activities. As if there isn't enough CCTV everywhere... and why oh why are cameras always the "solution"?

It's the age old Problem - Reaction - Solution scam at work which is why we are constantly losing our freedoms. All this is geared to force in the dreaded ID Card where everybody's movements and activities can be traced in such a precise manner the entire country becomes nothing more than an elaborate prison state.

Big Brother is laughing at us.

Music teachers have been advised of this for quite some time. Quite how you can teach an instrument to somebody when it is vital to often correct the placement of their fingers/hands is beyond me. But then we are living in the age of the idiot, overdosing on PC.

You're quite right Elliott; I've had CCTV installed in my house at the cost of

JK2006 wrote:
[quote]You're quite right Elliott; I've had CCTV installed in my house at the cost of

I was thinking more along the lines of the teachers fitting their own cameras. I have a very good two inch camera which will connect to a dvd/vhs recorder. It can be concealed easily and can operate wirelessly. A teacher could place one in the music room shortly before a lesson. The recording would be kept by the teacher and would only need to be produced if required as evidence. So, this would not be Big Brother, just an individual protecting him/herself.

However, it just occurs to me while typing this that some might then accuse the teacher of secretly filming children.

Hmm maybe it's a no win situation.

Just think in 20 years time JK will be doing Big Brother highlights of each year of his life - a year of footage must have some interesting moments in it ?

Could be a sure fire way of getting the