Teachers syndicate calls for installing cameras near girl schools to drive away roadside Romeos

AMMAN — The Jordan Teachers Association (JTA) wants authorities to install surveillance cameras outside girl schools to address the issue of “roadside Romeos”. 

As part of its lobbying campaign to push the Ministry of Education to take action in this regard, the syndicate has carried out an online opinion poll on whether surveillance cameras would prevent young men from loitering near girls’ schools. 

The JTA said 68.8 per cent of respondents believed such a move would be an answer to address flirting and harassment. The poll on the syndicate’s website was between March 18 and April 1 with 80 people voting. 

In a statement sent to The Jordan Times, JTA Spokesperson Ayman Okour said CCTV cameras can contribute to curbing “bad behaviour” of young men and can identify those who stalk or harass girls. 

The statement also quoted the head of Irbid’s JTA office, Qassem Masri, as saying that several private schools installed surveillance cameras in order to drive away roadside Romeos, adding that the projects proved successful. 

The association’s statement also quoted MP Zakariya Sheikh, who said cameras can control verbal or body language harassment against schoolgirls, adding that some young men drive irresponsibly near schools in a bid to attract girls. 

The syndicate said the results of the opinion poll will be referred to concerned officials at the Education Ministry.