The guidelines were prompted by fears that the images might be used by paedophiles. Liz Gallacher, director of the Heriothill nursery in Edinburgh, which, along with other private settings was not subject to the guidelines, welcomed the city council's decision to withdraw them after widespread protests from schools and a threat of legal action from a parent.
Ms Gallacher said, 'If as a private nursery we had been forced to operate the guidelines it would have meant an awful lot of extra work in getting permission slips printed and distributed to parents. I am glad Edinburgh City Council has withdrawn them.
'I think it was a case of overkill. We are in danger of making things so restrictive for parents and children that we'll end up not doing anything nice.'
However, guidelines remain in operation in local authority-run schools and nurseries in Falkirk and East Lothian. Falkirk Council recently updated its guidelines to headteachers to take into account the growth of digital media. Director of education Graeme Young said, 'The guidelines are seen by us as being constructive and were drawn up after consultation with teachers.
'We take a pragmatic approach where we leave parents and headteachers to talk through the most suitable opportunity to film or photograph the pupils involved.'
In East Lothian parents are asked if they want performances filmed, and if any object, then only school staff are allowed to video or photograph the event. Head of education David Cameron said that 'the videos or photographs are then edited to respect the wishes of parents'.
Ewan Aitken, Edinburgh council's executive member for education, denied that it had imposed a ban. He added, 'We have taken legal advice in the light of possible court proceedings and have decided the right route will be to suspend the guidelines while we review them, rather than get involved in expensive and protracted court proceedings.'
Judith Gillespie, of the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said, 'There has been outrage about this, as it is an example of political correctness gone crazy. It moves us into the area of fearing fear itself. It doesn't provide child protection; the only people it protects are members of the local authority.'
She said that many school sports events take place in public parks. 'How do you stop a member of the public walking past and taking a picture of an event, quite innocently?'