MOE to review policy

THE Education Ministry will be reviewing a social media policy for teachers which was introduced three months ago.

In a statement last night, the ministry said they appreciated the positive potential of social media in enabling productive engagement between teachers, students and parents in schools.

In the policy, which came into effect in June, schoolteachers were not allowed to have students or their parents as friends on social media.

The requirements of the policy also prohibited teachers from sending friend requests, nor accept requests from students and their parents.

“If they exist, they must be unfriended immediately,” stated the policy.

Last night, the ministry said they remained committed to leveraging the accessibility of social media in ways that furthered the education of Fijian children, maintaining communication channels with parents and protecting the best interests of teachers and safety of students.

“Our social media policy is not intended to inhibit our teachers’ freedom of association; rather, it is wholly intended to protect students and teachers from online abuse such as bullying, and in the case of students, from possible paedophiles who are able to hide their real identities,” the ministry highlighted in a statement.

“That said, we recognise that, with appropriate checks in place, teachers can maximise online platforms to establish professional relationships and direct lines of communication with parents and other teachers.

“We will be reviewing the policy to reflect this with a new code of conduct, while also calling on the Online Safety Commission to better educate our employees and students on best practices to protect their privacy on social media.”