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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

Teacher's Facebook

84 replies

adognamedhog · 01/08/2018 20:04

My friend told me that there is a picture of my DD on her teacher's personal Facebook site. I checked her profile and there are photos of DD and others (without any security settings) taken at school sporting events with their school name on their sports tops. There is nothing wrong with the photos other than that the head keeps saying that, for security reasons, pictures of children are not to be posted on social media (and because of their clothing the vhilfren can be easily identified) and I'm not that keen on my DDs picture being posted without my permission. Other staff, including the deputy head, have liked the posts. Aibu that this annoys me and that I want it taken down? Any suggestions for raising it without it looking like I'm spying on the teacher?

OP posts:
MyOtherProfile · 01/08/2018 23:38

an alternative would be to message them and ask them to take the photos down immediately
No. I'm sorry, and I'm absolutely not into vigilanteism but this can't be dealt with like that. It could have far reaching consequences and must be reported to the school. It's a serious data breach not a funny little blooper.

KeepServingTheDrinks · 01/08/2018 23:43

I have to agree. At the inset we had last September we were specifically warned about this as a sackable offence.

Also, not being rude but most teachers don't want to share the minutiae of their lives with parents and tend to lock their profiles right down.

Icouldbehappy · 01/08/2018 23:47

Teaformeplz
Who says that teachers “are not even supposed to be easily found on Facebook, they are advised to use a different name????” (Sorry, I can’t copy and paste that on my phone!)
I’m a teacher and have been on Facebook since 2009. With my own name. Plenty of staff on my school are on Facebook as well with their own names. Big deal.
My profile is public and that’s the way it will stay. I have a few ex parents and a few current parents. Quite a few ex-pupils (grown up) whom I enjoy catching up with.
I don’t post anything political or religious, I’m polite and respectful to others online, and I have a LOT of friends. I post pics of myself and my family and our adventures.
Lots of people tell me that they love to see what we’re up to.
I don’t post pics of myself out getting drunk but I see nothing wrong with a pic of me out for dinner and having wine, or saying that I’m going to have a drink at the end of a long week.
I don’t make derogatory comments about my work in any way, or my local authority.
I don’t post anything that could come back to haunt me.
We’re teachers but we’re still human. If we want to have our profiles public, that’s up to us. Equally, if we want to be private, that’s up to us.
Pupils could easily search for me and find me. Ditto parents. It doesn’t bother me. I have nothing to hide.

Italiangreyhound · 02/08/2018 00:01

YANBU, it is totally out of order. Just tell the head it is not on.

nearlythesummer · 02/08/2018 00:01

How strange that the teacher would want to pictures of the school children on. Just ask her to take them off as it is upsetting you.

MyOtherProfile · 02/08/2018 02:29

Icouldbehappy have you had no input from your school or LA on this? I work directly for the county council and we have had strict guidelines. We are not allowed to be friends online with current or recent ex parents or pupils. We can't use social media to make any contact with parents or pupils and we can't post anything to do with work on there.

This is from Schools Week and is pretty much what we were told:
"Schools’ codes of conduct should make it clear that no social media profile or post should mention the school and that befriending current or recent pupils and parents on social media is not allowed. Staff need to know that there are dividing lines that must not be crossed."

schoolsweek.co.uk/how-schools-can-avoid-social-media-teacher-scandals/

TheRealKimmySchmidt63 · 02/08/2018 03:51

Def contact head

Icouldbehappy · 02/08/2018 03:54

MyOtherProfile

No, we haven’t.
A lot of the parents on my friends list are actual friends. My ex-pupils are in their 20’s/early 30’s and I see no reason whatsoever why we can’t be friends online.
Utterly ridiculous to think otherwise.
I live and work reasonably nearby in the community. My DC come to school with me.
Am I to say to my DC’s friends’ parents that we have to ignore each other online, when we’ve been to the same party and our children are friends????
As if.
I teach in Scotland which maybe has different guidelines Grin

soundButtons · 02/08/2018 04:19

I'm amazed that the children haven't already been stolen.

This is a red flag safeguarding issue. Log it with OFSTED immediately and call the Governors.

Original poster
adognamedhog · 02/08/2018 07:46

Thanks everyone. This has been very helpful and it is clearly a more serious thing than I thought. I have taken copies of the pictures and read the school's policies. I am not sure if the school will take it seriously so am thinking who to forward them to.

OP posts:
SugarIsAmazing · 02/08/2018 07:49

My children's school upload videos with their names etc. And I have teachers on my personal Facebook. It's not really a big deal.

chocolateworshipper · 02/08/2018 07:52

Sugar unfortunately there are some children who are kept hidden from a parent for very sad reasons. It only takes one person to put a photo of that child on social media whilst wearing the school uniform, to put the child in danger. I have genuinely known a child having to re-locate to yet another foster family for this very reason.

Pud2 · 02/08/2018 08:02

This is a serious issue but personally, I don’t think it’s necessary to report it to the whole board of governors and OFSTED. Report it to the head and check back to see that it has been taken seriously. The incident should result in better training for all staff, a review of safeguarding procedures, and possibly some disciplinary action for the teacher (you wouldn’t get details of this). If, however, you feel it hasn’t been dealt with appropriately, you could raise it with OFSTED.

HolidayModeMum · 02/08/2018 08:04

I'm chair of a school governing body. All staff have to sign up to a social media policy, its the same for all schools in the local authority. This would be a serious breech of policy and I would be hugely concerned that senior staff members have liked posts and are therefore aware. It brings in to question the schools approach to safeguarding and data protection!!! Are staff using private phones to photograph pupils???? Omg!!!

Original poster
adognamedhog · 02/08/2018 08:05

Sugar - I think this is different from the school doing it. The school have my permission to upload images of my dd through their systems. The teacher is not doing this through the school and so my consents don't apply. At every school event the head tells all parents that pictures can be taken for personal use but cannot be shared on personal social media accounts for safety reasons. There is no point her saying this if her staff are doing it anyway.

OP posts:
Happygoldfinch · 02/08/2018 08:06

The children's image - their data - belongs to them. It's weird that a teacher, knowing this (GDPR is everywhere), would still post images on a personal page. The fact that the students are identifiable also shows a bizarre lack of understanding regarding safeguarding. Let your mind wander to what the worst possible thing could be as a result of these children being identifiable on this website (however unlikely), and you'll know that the right action would be to alert the headteacher.

Happygoldfinch · 02/08/2018 08:07

Or the governors if you don't think the headteacher will take it seriously.

HolidayModeMum · 02/08/2018 08:07

Pud2. I think this does need to go to governors as this raises concerns about senior management in the school.

Ionlylookatthepictures · 02/08/2018 08:09

That’s awful, especially as she’s posted them publicly Shock

hula008 · 02/08/2018 08:12

I have friend who run official, private "teacher" accounts but allow their personal (unconnected to the school) friends to follow these which concerns me!

Backstabbath · 02/08/2018 08:20

Bit silly of the teacher and not the greatest idea but hopefully she knows the pupils in the photo and fingers crossed none have safeguarding issues.

Wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

reddressblueshoes · 02/08/2018 08:20

'The children's image - their data - belongs to them.'

@Happygoldfinch that is simply not legally true. If you're walking down the street with your child and I take a photo of them, there is nothing you can do to stop me. GDPR had no bearing on that.

In school time, it's different, and I agree the teacher has acted unwisely, but some of the comments here are tipping into hysteria.

It is v v important that children who might be at risk if identified do not have that happen by the school. The general worry that photos of a child in a uniform will link them to that school seems ridiculous- people don't kidnap children to order, you could just as easily see that child walking down the street in their uniform. However, it's obviously the parents choice, OP has said yes to pics being used by school but there's no reason that should involve teachers private FB pages.

A quiet word would make sense, but assuming the teacher may simply be sharing pictures she took for the school that appear in the school pages and are therefore of children whose parents have consented to their image being taken and shared I don't think it's quite as outrageous as some.

Pud2 · 02/08/2018 08:22

Holidaymodemum - I agree it should be reported to the chair of governors, as governors have overall responsibility for safeguarding. I don’t, however, think the op should be reporting it to the whole board of governors as some posters have suggested. If there is any form of disciplinary it may be that there needs to be a panel of governors involved who should be impartial.

Happygoldfinch · 02/08/2018 08:25

@reddressblueshoes She's not worried about the photo having been taken. She's worried about it being posted on a website.

ZigZagIntoTheBlue · 02/08/2018 08:30

I second the pp about LADO as well, don't let them brush it under the carpet.
Ime you can't complain to the governors without first following procedure any complaining to the head UNLESS it's a safeguarding complaint about SLT which it is. You can probably go straight to a stage 3 complaint. Is the school an Academy or maintained school?