Teachers cautioned on Facebook usage

A circular issued by the Education Services Directorate has called on teachers not to engage in “inappropriate dialogue” and not to post “inappropriate pictures” on social networking sites such as Facebook.

The circular comes in the wake of stories appearing in the foreign media about teachers who were disgraced by comments or pictures which they had posted on their profiles.

One case involved six female primary school teachers from Langland in the UK whose raunchy photos depicting them drunk and pole dancing during a hen’s night were spotted by a parent on their profile.

A parent of one pupil at the school spotted the pictures, printed off five pages of them and posted them through neighbours’ front doors.

In the circular sent to Maltese teachers, the Directorate underlines the “tremendous potential benefits” of social network sites for the professional development of teachers.

However it reminds teachers that “as educators, we also have a professional image to uphold and the way we conduct ourselves online holds no exception.”

Educators are asked to ensure that their profile picture reflects “their professional image.”

Teachers are being reminded that they should establish boundaries with their students. “Educators need to establish clear boundaries so as to have a professional educator-student relationship.”

Fake identities

One major issue being raised in other countries is whether teachers should accept friend requests by their students.

The circular issued by the Maltese authorities falls short of banning these online friendships but calls on teachers to respect professional boundaries and to “constantly remind” students that the minimum legal age to have a Facebook account is 13.

Even if students are of the legal age to create an account but are still minors, they should always ask for permission before sending any information over the internet.

One of the problems facing teachers is that students under the age of 13 are faking their date of birth in order to access Facebook.

A former teacher told MaltaToday that she always used to turn down friends requests from children, even from students in Form 4. “Although I have always had a very good relationship with the pupils in my class, I have always guarded my privacy and that of my family”.

But it was only when she started checking the profile information of students requesting her friendship that she became aware of the widespread use of fake identities.

“I received a friend request from someone born in 1977. I thought the person was one of my son’s friends.  But I couldn’t make out who he was since the photo was quite small but after a while I realised it was an 8-year-old boy from my school”.

From then on, she has always made sure to check who friend requests were from, and their date of birth. “It was then that I started worrying. Most of the kids were using a fake date of birth”.

This problem is being addressed through educational programmes like the BeSmartOnline! project, through which pupils from Year 4 upwards will be given lessons and will discuss internet safety issues with teachers in charge of Health and Safety, PSD and eLearning. Social networking will be one of the topics discussed.

The circular also reminds teachers that they need permission from parents if they post photos of their students.

Teachers warned of consequences

The circular also warns teachers about the consequences of passing casual remarks on fellow colleagues or pupils.

While sharing one’s experiences online is deemed healthy, teachers are advised to be careful about how to comment about their students and schools. “We need to remember that we are responsible for what we post on line and do our very best to avoid any negative, defamatory comments that may lead to any form of disciplinary or legal action against us.”

Teachers are particularly advised to be careful when interacting with colleagues online.

“If at times, one feels the need to vent out his/her feelings, make sure that you understand that whatever is written publicly, can be accessed by anyone, interpreted in different ways and can have dire consequences.  Anything in writing can be easily printed or captured and used against you.”

Teachers are also reminded that they cannot use Facebook or other social networks during contact time with pupils in class.

Facebook regulation in other countries

In August, the US State of Missouri passed law a bill that prohibits social networking between teachers and students. As part of the Amy Hestir Student Protection Act, named after a student who was molested by her teacher decades ago – before Facebook was even invented – personal relationships between teachers and pupils over social networking sites was made illegal.

But the law was later overturned by the State legislature after a judge ruled “it would have a chilling effect on free speech.” 

The Missouri State Teachers Association disapproved of the new law, arguing that the vast majority of their online contact with students was strictly for educational purposes.

In Canada, the Ontario College of Teachers advises its 230,000 members not to accept Facebook friend requests from students.

In the UK, the National Association of Head Teachers (NAHT) wants every school to set out a policy stating exactly what is and isn’t allowed on Facebook.