Some B.C. schools ban smart glasses following student concerns

Meta glasses are here, and they’re drawing concerns from many corners of life over privacy, including schools in Metro Vancouver, like Johnston Heights Secondary School in Surrey.

Daily Hive obtained a memo that was sent to families connected to Johnston Heights because some students were raising concerns that some individuals in the school community were considering purchasing smart glasses as their eyewear.

Unverified reports also claim that some students were already wearing them last year.

In B.C., there are currently no provincial laws, nor are there any federal laws across Canada, that ban or regulate the use of Meta glasses in public spaces. But that doesn’t mean school districts can’t implement their own rules.

Johnston Heights says that it will not allow smart glasses, and if school administration sees them, “we will take them and call home to ask parents/caregivers to pick them up.”

Johnston adds that these devices pose “significant privacy and academic integrity concerns” due to how they could potentially impact tests and exams, on top of taking pictures and videos without consent or knowledge.

“As outlined in Surrey Schools’ Safe and Caring Schools procedures, staff and students ‘should not be recorded, visually or audibly, for any reason without their prior consent’ to ensure a safe and distraction-free learning environment for everyone,” Surrey Schools Superintendent and CEO Mark Pearmain told Daily Hive.

It also states that digital devices should be put away during non-class time, like recess and lunch.

“Exceptions to this are for students who need digital devices for medical or health reasons, translation, accessibility, or other student-specific reasons.”

The Surrey Schools procedures don’t specifically mention anything related to wearable technology, and it isn’t clear if it considers a pair of Meta glasses a “digital device.”

However, Pearmain did say the expectation not to be recorded applies to “all personal digital devices and technologies capable of capturing images, video, or sound.”

Pearmain added that some school leaders discourage the use of smart glasses at school because of the risks they pose to the privacy and safety of students.

“All parents, students, visitors, and community members are expected to respect the dignity and privacy of others while on Surrey Schools property,” Pearmain added.

We also contacted the Vancouver School Board (VSB) for a statement regarding the privacy situation revolving around Meta glasses.

VSB referred us to its code of conduct, which actually addresses appropriate digital behaviour, while not specifically mentioning Meta glasses.

VSB says that the use of digital devices is restricted during school hours and on school property. Some digital devices are permitted if they’re for educational purposes, as directed by the classroom educator, but this likely doesn’t apply to Meta glasses.