A Code of conduct too far?
Posted by John Naples-Campbell on November 8th, 2007
BBC news have just stated that the GTCS are to create a new code of conduct for teachers. This code of conduct would have to be signed by teaching staff before they enter a classroom.
One of the codes to be looked at is the information of staff on social networking sites such as facebook and bebo.
The bbc link states ‘One new recommendation is that teachers should be wary of posting information and photos of their personal lives on social networking websites.’. Surely this goes against our personal freedom and freedoom of speech?
Am I the only person having issues being told what I can and can not do in my private life?
November 10th, 2007 at 6:36 pm
A lot of my friends on Facebook are actually colleagues. If they were to stop teachers using Facebook, I would have no friends. I wonder if the GTC have actually looked at what staff do on Facebook? I also wonder if the people working up at Clermiston House actually have used the site, or are they just reading what is published in the media. I for one will be very intrested in this documents contents. If they do stop people from having such accounts, will they also stop staff from keeping weblogs? Over my dead body!
Perhaps they need to take a wee look at our EduBuzz Wiki.
November 10th, 2007 at 9:55 pm
John this is so rediculous it’s funny! We are professionals and surely we can be trusted to decide what is appropriate and what is not. These sites allow us to make everything we do there private and only visible to selected people. I would never post anything that I would feel uncomfortable with anyway. What therefore is the problem? As you say this is taking away our freedom, personal live and personality. This would not happen to anyone in anyother job, why us?
November 12th, 2007 at 7:19 pm
Please see:
http://www.gtcs.org.uk/Publications/Consultations/conductconsultation.asp
November 12th, 2007 at 9:02 pm
You should read the report, which is up for consultation at the moment, and you’ll see that it is not suggesting things in such a simplistic manner as the BBC report suggests. However, there are some areas that need expanding upon to avoid the kind of misunderstanding that can so easily be made (and has been made in the BBC report):
http://edu.blogs.com/edublogs/2007/11/draft-code-of-p.html