Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Only the apps you allow.

Meet the Other Phone.
Only the apps you allow.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teacher using pictures of class on her own social media

118 replies

Supermagicsmile · 03/12/2017 09:46

I am willing to accept I am being unreasonable if you think I am but my gut reaction is that I'm not.

My friend is a teacher who uses social media to show the type of activities she is doing with her class. She always takes the pictures before/after school and never includes the children. She follows other teachers who do the same (although some do include pictures of the children with faces blanked out.) She has spotted my dd on her teacher's social media account with pictures of the children on. (Their faces are blanked out) but I am still not happy about it. She knew it was my dd because of her hair bow in her hair which I made!

I have checked what we signed and no where does it mention their images being used for a teacher's own social media. I have seen it for myself and no where does it mention the school or link back to their main account so it's definitely not affiliated with them.

AIBU? Would you speak to the teacher or go to the head? I don't want the teacher to get in trouble but I would like her to be told what is and isn't appropriate without permission!!

OP posts:
pringlecat · 03/12/2017 10:10

If someone recognised your child despite her face being blanked out, then it's feasible a child legitimately hiding from an abusive family member could be tracked down in this way. Maybe there are no children in this situation. But given you weren't asked for permission for this photo to be posted, the parents haven't been asked to confirm no risk, so the teacher doesn't know for sure whether s/he is putting anyone in danger. By blanking out the faces, the teacher clearly thinks s/he has made everything safe, but that's not necessarily true.

I would absolutely mention it from a safeguarding POV.

SandyY2K · 03/12/2017 10:10

It's different if the school get your permission...this is a teacher acting in isolation. It's unprofessional and she should have sought permission whether the image is identifiable or not.

And so what if it makes the OP that parent.

I was sent a letter by the school as they specifically wanted to use DDs image for the prospectus. I gave permission without a problem.

mustbemad17 · 03/12/2017 10:11

When I worked in schools (and also in care) we weren't allowed to put anything connected to work on our own pages. It was part of our safeguarding policy. Stunned as to the reasoning of this one

Redsippycup · 03/12/2017 10:12

Whatever device is being used will have the original photo, complete with faces, so it would be important to me to know if that is school or personal property.

So in my opinion personal device taking pic - not ok.
School device taking pic then being used for personal Facebook - probably against school rules.
School device used then altered pic emailed to personal device - better, but might still be against the rules.

I think it's worth mentioning to the school, you are clearly not happy, and the teacher may be treading a very fine line without realising it.

differentnameforthis · 03/12/2017 10:13

Her mother MADE the bow, pengggwn so yes, she is quite possibly that only child with that bow!

Pengggwn · 03/12/2017 10:14

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

IWannaSeeHowItEnds · 03/12/2017 10:15

Presumably you have signed consent for her photo to appear on the school website. If so, then in reality there is no difference.
I only think you should raise this if you havrn't given consent for her image to be used at all.

Nuffaluff · 03/12/2017 10:15

I am a teacher and I would never dream of doing this. She shouldn't be either.

Pengggwn · 03/12/2017 10:16

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

MaisyPops · 03/12/2017 10:17

It depends what you mean by her 'own' socual media.
Lots of teachers I know have public social media accounts used for teaching and school allow them to share teaching and learning things as long as there's no children identifyable on it.
E.g. my friend did one where you saw a child's hand during an activity.

That would be considered very differently to say their personal instagram account. Without knowing more info or what the school's line is we can't judge either way.

Personally, i don't put anything at all like that on any social media. It's just easier for everyone.

NovemberWitch · 03/12/2017 10:18

I’m a teacher, what she’s doing is against policy in every school I know. She needs to be told, and it would not be unreasonable to talk to the head about your concerns.

MrsKCastle · 03/12/2017 10:20

MrsKCastle

Rubbish. The child's photograph has not been 'used' for anything and if the child isn't identifable I don't see how this is concerning. Non issue.

The picture was placed on social media and it clearly was identifiable! Are posters seriously saying that they wouldn't recognize a photo of their own child, or any child they know well if the face was blanked out? Nearly all schools have very strict rules about using children's images and this wouldn't be OK in any school I have worked in.

Liverbird77 · 03/12/2017 10:20

Please speak to the teacher and not the head. If this teacher is producing resources/creating projects they feel worthy of sharing then they are clearly putting a great deal of time and effort into their work, which will also benefit your daughter. Perhaps they are a bit naïve and don't understand the implications. Talk to her first and give her a chance to rectify the situation. Only if she won't should you go the head. I get that you are not happy, but is it really worth ruining someone's career over?

Pengggwn · 03/12/2017 10:22

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Shadowboy · 03/12/2017 10:23

We have students in a social media page which is connected to the school but one that only two members of staff can log into. It shows what the students get up to during a school year. All student’s/parents are asked if they Consent.

It’s tricky because if the teacher is simply on social media where teachers are sharing ideas and good practice then I wouldn’t mind as long as teachers blank out the kids. Which it appears they teacher has done. Remember that many school budgets are so severely cut that they no longer attend courses and sometimes these are the only ways to learn new ideas. It also shows this teacher is keen.

ourkidmolly · 03/12/2017 10:24

Is this a specific teaching area? With sample lessons and displays?
Anyway, if the face is blocked out, what's the gripe? What is it that you're angry about? What is going to happen?

Uokbing · 03/12/2017 10:26

I was all ready to come in here and say 'whaaaaaaat, she can't do that!' but....... her face was blanked out? Confused

I follow (actually used to follow as they made me feel so inadequate!) a teacher with her own FB page to show off her amazing activities with her class. If she ever had kids on the pictures she always uses those emoji stickers over their faces so they can't be identified. I can't see much wrong with that tbh.

MaisyPops · 03/12/2017 10:27

Pengggwn exactly.

We've taken some photos from the back of a performance and it has the backs of heads in it. Those children are not identifyable. (Should add before I have my professionalism questioned by random strangers online they were taken with the school camera for the school website)

ragged · 03/12/2017 10:27

I don't object to identifiable photos without permission, never mind unidentifiable pictures.

TabbyMumz · 03/12/2017 10:27

Under new data protection regs coming in next year, schools will have to detail where children's photos are likely to be used, when gaining permission. So they will have to say something along the lines of "it is likely to be used in school website, school Twitter site, and school publications." I very much doubt they will add "and any teachers own personal media" whether the face be blocked out or not. So this time next year, if any teachers do this, it will be illegal. They will no doubt be receiving training very soon, or their school or the teacher themselves can be personally fined millions.

FlouncyDoves · 03/12/2017 10:28

It’s not beyond reason that someone could identify your DD either.

If the picture (or others posted by the teacher) identify the school (or you could do a simple google search of the teacher’s name if she has that on her account) then you could recognise your DD by her distinctive bow.

You could then look at the school’s website for photos of the bow - and find the girl’s first name. If no photos of her are on there then that doesn’t really matter as you could pick her out ar school because of the bow.

From that it’s easy enough to approach your DD and say ‘that drawing you did for miss x was amazing, could you teach me how to do it?’ etc etc.

Is it likely to happen? No. Is it possible? Yes. Do schools have stringent policies in place to prevent these unlikely scenarios? Yes. And this teacher has almost certainly ignored it, or not read it.

I used to be IT lead in a primary school and I wrote our policies referring to staff conduct and use of IT in teaching and what they could and couldn’t do with images.

This isn’t the worst infringement, but it certainly merits a conversation with the HT.

sagamartha · 03/12/2017 10:30

I think the type of device being used is important. Teachers shouldn't really use their own device to take pictures of children in the classroom. That's a big no no.

If it's a school device and the parent has given permission for pictures to be on the website / social media, then I would hope the teacher has got permission to do this.

Jeffers3 · 03/12/2017 10:30

As a teacher I find this really unacceptable and if I had a colleague doing this I would speak to the head.
I think you should speak to the school head in a measured email and tell them what they have been doing.
Our school has its own twitter, fb and website; teaching staff are encouraged to take pictures of what the children have been up to and post on there.

TabbyMumz · 03/12/2017 10:31

Maiseypops....our school also takes pictures of backs of heads at school performance....I can spot my son every time. I pick him out of hundreds. They are still identifiable.

Uokbing · 03/12/2017 10:31

If I was going to do this I would at least ask my headteacher if it was ok. Maybe the teacher has done that?

We have a school twitter and there are a handful of kids who don't have permission to go on it. I have to say there are probably a few pictures on there where said children are in the background with their back to the camera but their own parents would probably recognise their coat or a bow in their hair. No one has ever said anything.

I agree with the pp who said that at least she is really keen and planning lovely activities for your DD. I honestly would just leave it.

Swipe left for the next trending thread