Teacher sharing images on SM

[glitterelf]

Morning I've stumbled across images of children including my own on Twitter from a teachers personal Twitter account and I feel a little uneasy about this. Does anyone know the rules and regs around this ? The school itself does have its own account so I'm not sure why it wasn't posted through that account. I know that there are several children who most definitely should not have their pictures posted ever and I cannot see anything in the schools policies about SM. TIA

@TizerorFizz

Parents should not be asked to agree to social media use if pictures by anyone other than the official school media! No personal SM account should have pupils on it. It really is against most SM and data policies I’ve ever seen. So yes, it does matter and teachers are not making individual decisions on this. They must follow policies and this is almost certainly a breach! So contract the chair of governors op.

Once it has been put on the official account though it can be shared, reposted etc by any account.

@Newnamemsz

What I mean glitterelf is that there are lots of teachers who are quite legitimately posting things on social media under their own name provided parents have signed a school permission slip for photographs/videos. As has been said they should not be using personal devices to take or store images of children. I would imagine most schools would ask teachers to remove any posts in response to parental concern regardless of this.

I see but then the account would be clearly identifiable that it is a professional teachers account, this one isn't.

Not necessarily. When I first started using social media (at my school's recommendation to promote the practice in school) I used my full name and was advised by the LA safeguarding team to remove it.

@Newnamemsz

Not necessarily. When I first started using social media (at my school's recommendation to promote the practice in school) I used my full name and was advised by the LA safeguarding team to remove it.

This account doesn't have a full name just first name and numbers. I'm glad it's been removed though and that the school / trust will be looking into it. Although there are no safeguarding issues surrounding my child there are for some of the other children and whilst they may not be my responsibility it is everyone's responsibility when it comes to safeguarding.

Yes that would be the recommendation from my LA (can't speak for others)

The safeguarding is for teachers leaving themselves open to online abuse

?? That isn’t safeguarding!!! Safeguarding is all about children! Not about teachers posting pictures of children they shouldn’t! Good grief! It’s not about stupid teachers.

it is everyone's responsibility when it comes to safeguarding

This. 100% correct and if you work with children 1000% this without exception. You turn a blind eye to nothing that niggles at you. You send to the DSL and let them see if it's a worry or not.

@TizerorFizz

?? That isn’t safeguarding!!! Safeguarding is all about children! Not about teachers posting pictures of children they shouldn’t! Good grief! It’s not about stupid teachers.

You better tell that to the government and look at their document "safeguarding pupils and teachers online"

There's actually an earlier document (2014) providing advice for keeping teachers safe from cyberbullying

@Newnamemsz ultimately under these circumstances it absolutely is about the safeguarding of the children not the teacher. The teacher will have had lots of training regarding safeguarding and protecting herself from accusations but again most of the training will be about safeguarding the children.

@glitterelf
Absolutely! The overwhelming thrust of safeguarding in schools is about protecting children.

There is nothing in what you've said to suggest there is a safeguarding issue

@Newnamemsz

There is nothing in what you've said to suggest there is a safeguarding issue

Maybe you should re read my Op then where I've said that there are several children who's images should never be taken for the public to see.

Given the fact these images are on an unauthorised account, snd published, it might well be a safeguarding issue. If is definitely an issue regarding the security and distribution of images. Most schools distinguish between official publicity and image storage and personal accounts of staff.image storage must be controlled. Most schools don’t allow staff to take their own photos on phones they own and publish them. If a member of staff has snapped an image already published by the school, that would be different. It’s already published and the rules should have been followed. Of course those who shouldn’t be photographed and published shouldn’t appear on any device or any account.

I do think too many staff don’t think about what they are doing and poor management doesn’t reinforce the policies in place. It’s not acceptable.,

@TizerorFizz

Given the fact these images are on an unauthorised account, snd published, it might well be a safeguarding issue. If is definitely an issue regarding the security and distribution of images. Most schools distinguish between official publicity and image storage and personal accounts of staff.image storage must be controlled. Most schools don’t allow staff to take their own photos on phones they own and publish them. If a member of staff has snapped an image already published by the school, that would be different. It’s already published and the rules should have been followed. Of course those who shouldn’t be photographed and published shouldn’t appear on any device or any account.

I do think too many staff don’t think about what they are doing and poor management doesn’t reinforce the policies in place. It’s not acceptable.,

Is it an unauthorised account? How do you know?

Because the OP says it is! As she has explained!

@TizerorFizz

Because the OP says it is! As she has explained!

No she hasn't. She's said it isn't the school account and it uses the teacher's first name but that doesn't mean it is unauthorised.

@Newnamemsz it's clearly not authorised as I've stated if it was authorised it would have at the very least the teachers full name and clear links to the school but it doesn't. It's been pulled and hasn't been posted on the schools account either so clearly not allowed or they may have breeched by posting images without explicit consent.

I'm afraid what you expect doesn't reflect reality as far as authorised accounts are concerned. Authorised accounts can be in any name.
The only real issue is whether parents have given permission for children's images to be used and as you say you haven't given such permission then whether the account is official or otherwise doesn't really matter the image shouldn't have been shared.

No - that is not the only issue and doesn’t reflect the law regarding storage and use of data. Photographs are data. Schools must be clear about storage of data and release of data. Of course a child who isn’t allowed to be photographed should not be but that’s not the only consideration. I’ve attached a simple photography policy and it’s a bit sad a teacher doesn’t understand data protection and what parents are asked to agree to. Parents are not agreeing to anyone (employee or otherwise) storing data on their DC unless it’s via the agreed secure data storage systems in school. The fact this post/photo was removed tends to show it was a breach.

Wrong photo! This one!

No, this isn't allowed unless you have consented.

The teacher should know that though!

@TizerorFizz

No - that is not the only issue and doesn’t reflect the law regarding storage and use of data. Photographs are data. Schools must be clear about storage of data and release of data. Of course a child who isn’t allowed to be photographed should not be but that’s not the only consideration. I’ve attached a simple photography policy and it’s a bit sad a teacher doesn’t understand data protection and what parents are asked to agree to. Parents are not agreeing to anyone (employee or otherwise) storing data on their DC unless it’s via the agreed secure data storage systems in school. The fact this post/photo was removed tends to show it was a breach.

www.tes.com/news/busting-myth-around-gdpr-and-pictures-pupils

@TizerorFizz

Parents should not be asked to agree to social media use if pictures by anyone other than the official school media! No personal SM account should have pupils on it. It really is against most SM and data policies I’ve ever seen. So yes, it does matter and teachers are not making individual decisions on this. They must follow policies and this is almost certainly a breach! So contract the chair of governors op.

Yes I posted this form yesterday and have enlarged the relevant part