Johnston Heights Secondary School has told families it will ban Meta smart glasses on school property and confiscate devices if found.
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Surrey-area high school officials have moved to restrict Meta smart glasses amid growing privacy concerns among students and families, with Johnston Heights Secondary School warning it will confiscate the devices if they are seen on school property. The school sent a memo to families connected to Johnston Heights after students raised concerns that individuals in the school community were considering purchasing the wearable technology as eyewear.
According to the memo obtained for reporting, some students have also made unverified claims that smart glasses were worn by others at the school during the previous school year. Johnston Heights’ message frames the issue as one involving both privacy and academic integrity, particularly in relation to how the devices could be used during tests and exams.
In British Columbia, the memo’s context notes there are currently no provincial laws and no federal laws across Canada that specifically ban or regulate the use of Meta glasses in public spaces. The school district nevertheless emphasized that schools can still adopt their own rules for learning environments and behaviour on school property.
Johnston Heights said it will not allow smart glasses and that, if staff observe the devices, school administration will “take them” and ask parents or caregivers to pick them up. Surrey Schools Superintendent and CEO Mark Pearmain said the devices raise “significant privacy and academic integrity concerns” because of the potential to record people without consent or knowledge and to interfere with test and exam conditions.
Pearmain pointed to Surrey Schools’ Safe and Caring Schools procedures, which state that staff and students “should not be recorded, visually or audibly, for any reason without their prior consent” to maintain a safe and distraction-free learning setting. The procedures also speak to classroom expectations around digital devices, including that digital technology should be put away during non-class time such as recess and lunch.
The same procedures list limited exceptions for students who require digital devices for medical or health reasons, translation needs, accessibility purposes, or other student-specific circumstances. The procedures, however, do not specifically reference wearable or head-mounted technology, leaving uncertainty about whether a pair of smart glasses would be treated the same way as a phone or tablet under existing definitions.
Pearmain said, though, that the expectation not to record applies to “all personal digital devices and technologies capable of capturing images, video, or sound.” He also said some school leaders discourage smart glasses in schools because of the privacy and safety risks they may pose for students.
Pearmain further said all parents, students, visitors and community members are expected to respect the dignity and privacy of others while on Surrey Schools property. In that context, the district’s approach is focused less on regulating the devices in public generally and more on restricting what is permitted inside schools and during learning activities.
Questions about how the policy might apply across Metro Vancouver’s school boards have also been raised, including by families concerned about what rules could follow if wearable cameras become more common. The Vancouver School Board was asked for comment and pointed to its code of conduct, which addresses appropriate digital behaviour but does not specifically mention Meta glasses.
The Vancouver School Board said its approach restricts the use of digital devices during school hours and on school property. It added that some devices may be permitted for educational purposes as directed by classroom educators, which—based on the information provided—may not apply to smart glasses.
For students and staff, the practical implication of Johnston Heights’ plan is that wearable recording-capable technology could face immediate enforcement on site, even though broader laws governing public use do not yet appear to address the category directly. The memo also underscores that, beyond capturing images or video, district officials are particularly concerned about how such devices could affect the fairness and integrity of assessments.
Surrey Schools’ stated position places the decision squarely within school jurisdiction: while Meta glasses may be legally available to consumers, the district says it can still limit recording-capable technologies to protect privacy and maintain an orderly learning environment. That means families who bring or purchase smart glasses could face device confiscation if staff determine the devices are present in violation of school expectations.
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