or is the school head?

[pingu2209]

A friend of mine is a keen facebook messager. She leaves messages on facebook about every aspect of her life. This includes events at school, good and bad. Her messages regarding the school are not about individual people, but about the school system or how it is run.

In recent weeks she has added 3 separate messages on facebook about the school. Firstly, the hours they have given her children at nursery. Secondly, the way the school disciplined one of her children when they were naughty. Thirdly, the way a teacher had shoved one of her children over when disciplining another one of her children. Her children are 3, 4, and 5 year old twins.

Yesterday, the head of the school asked her to stop adding any messages to facebook about what happens at the school. My opinion on this is that, as long as it isn't personal about an individual, messaging about the school is part of freedom of expression.

hmm but she did add a post about an individual teacher

In all fairness, if a teacher had pushed her child over then I don;t think facebook is the best place to be mouthing off about it. She shoudl be taking it up with the headteacher and that is more than likely his point. If she has a complaint then there are ways to deal with them. The school cannot address incidents if they are not informed properly about them.

There's no absolute right to freedom of expression as others have discovered when posting streams of consciousness comments on social media sites.

However, the head teacher cannot actually stop her posting messages on Facebook. But if I were the head teacher I'd be inclined to ask her to use a more productive method of sorting out the issues she has with the school.

You're joking, right?

He can ask her to stop. That doesn't mean he can force her to stop if she doesn't. I think it's really silly to post things like that on face book. She may be free to do do but that doesn't make it a mature or helpful thing to do.

With regard the pushing incident. My friend did raise it with the head teacher straight away and took along 2 other mums (not me) who had been there at the time of the incident. The head said he would deal with it and said it was unacceptable to shove a child hard enough that they fell over (or at all, of course).

However, the teacher denied the incident and the head took the teachers side; even though there were witnesses including my friend, the child's mother.

This is what was added to facebook, the fact the head had taken the teachers side and said that it had not happened.

This final incident was what pushed him to speak to her and ask that she doesn't add anything to facebook anymore.

Shoved?

Are you are sure about this?

I can only tell you what the mum and 2 other mum's saw. I wasn't there myself.

My friend adds everything to facebook. I know when she has scratched her bum.

Thirdly, the way a teacher had shoved one of her children over when disciplining another one of her children

How would she feel if the teacher wrote of the way her child behaved on FB

I agree with the people who said there's a more productive way of taking up any issues with the school.

What is to be gaining by telling the whole world?

For all we know the school has a policy that states something like

Ask parent to stop writing about school on social networks > write to parent asking them to cease > pass to solicitor > take to court

?

What is she trying to achieve by all these messages on Facebook? I get very irritated by this sort of random shit aimed at causing grief. If she is concerned enough to post what will be quite identifiable details then why on earth does she not take things through the proper channels. Like the school governors or the LEA? What is Facebook supposed to do on her behalf? Other than host inflammatory material.

Why on earth is she making it public?- get it on secure settings.

Your friend had an issue to discuss with the HT, and took along two other mum's as backup? She sounds as rough as a badgers arse.

Posting about that kind of thing on Facebook is, at the very least, childish. If she names the school, or a person, or if someone who then comments on her post does so, then the school could, AFAIK, take action.

Agree with complex. She would presumably be up in arms if a teacher had slagged off her child on FB - or even written in general that 'loads of the kids are really badly parented'. Seems to me that slagging off the school system is basically the same in reverse, particularly if she is identifying the school in her posts. There's a very fine line between 'freedom of expression' and libel.

x posted with lots of others there - but the general opinion appears to be that she is going to find herself in the position where the school takes action against her if she does not stop this - particularly as the Head has already requested that she does so.

The head teacher is right is asking her to stop.

She has essentially committed liable against the school and teacher. Since she has put it writing she would obliged to prove it happened, if the teacher or school took if further.

Maybe the school should at posting about incidents with children from their point of view.

I agree with the Head. It is totally inappropriate to be discussing the school in such terms on Facebook.

I think this is a jolly interesting subject. It has also happened to a friend of mine who posts about every incident i her life, and therefore what happens at school. I haven't decided what I think about it yet.

OP

I find myself in a situation where I hope that the teacher sues your friend.

I'm with the Head.

Your friend really needs to think about what's appropriate to

Sorry - what's appropriate to post. Facebook's no different to taking an ad in the paper - its there digitally for everyone to see. She could find herself in serious trouble. Does she work? I hope she's not posting her employers business on Facebook. They would take a very dim view of it.

If she keeps doing it, could school claim relations have broken down and ask her to find another school for her children? I don't know. I think the head could certainly ban her from the premises, which could be awkward.