The New Westminster school board is crafting its first-ever social media policy, but its first draft has been sent back to the drawing board.
A draft policy was floated at an education policy and planning committee meeting last week, but committee members had concerns about its lack of clarity and sent it back to staff to be reworked.
“The first draft of the policy was trying to probably do too many things in that it was trying to speak, not only to students, but also to employees,” superintendent Pat Duncan told the Record.
The regulations attached to the policy, which is aimed at trustees, employees and students, stated the board believes social media is an extension of the classroom and that “what is inappropriate in the classroom should be deemed inappropriate online.”
Posting photos of “irresponsible” alcohol consumption on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, for example, was deemed inappropriate.
The draft document also listed behaviours “strictly prohibited” under the policy, including posting threats, posting confidential student, staff or trustee information, posting images that show or promote illegal drug use and posting images or information that violates someone else’s privacy or dignity.
Possible consequences for violating the policy included suspension and police intervention.
But Duncan said the regulations need to be more specific.
“It tried to be an umbrella,” he said of the draft, “and I think I would like to see something that offers a little more specificity in what do you really mean here. It talked about not allowing posts on Facebook with alcohol. Well, who can’t post on Facebook with alcohol? That’s not clear to anybody. A parent might say, ‘What do you mean? You can’t tell me my child can’t do that.’ And they’re right.”
The superintendent said district staff will now consult with other districts and come back to the education policy and planning committee with a revised draft Nov. 3. It will then go out to parent advisory councils and the teacher and support staff unions for consultation before being voted on at a regular public board meeting.
Even though all student and staff behaviour is already covered in the district’s code of conduct, having a specific social media policy is important, according to school board chair Jonina Campbell.
“It draws attention to the fact that this is a new and very real form of bullying and harassment and intimidation for students,” she said.
Even if the online nastiness happens outside of school hours, the district considers it a school issue when it starts to affect students’ learning environment, Campbell said.
Need help wrapping your head around your child’s online world?
The New Westminster district parent advisory council (DPAC) hosts “Parenting in a Digital Age,” a workshop designed to help parents, grandparents and caregivers keep kids safe on the Internet.
The two-hour session covers topics like popular social media and apps, digital reputations and their implications, gaming positives and negatives, online drama and abuse, sexting and online pornography, future trends in technology, and parenting with technology.
Onsite childminding for children aged two years and older is available.
The event is at Glenbrook Middle School (701 Park Crescent) on Tuesday, Sept. 29 from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. Email [email protected] ahead of time for child care.
