Is it time for social media checks in the education sector?

Teachers do more than just teach school subjects – they provide pastoral care and are seen as mentors to young people in society. Therefore, their conduct outside of work is important, particularly when it comes to what’s on their social media profiles. Social media has hit the headlines recently thanks to a Netflix show called Adolescence. The show has been watched a record times and has been regarded as a must-watch, so much so that the British prime minister has suggested it be aired in schools. The crux of the show? How social media is impacting young people more than ever before. They have unfiltered access to social media platforms and it’s been proven that age restrictions are easily bypassed, so young children could be exposed to anything. But the flip side of this is that children can now access anything they want – which could be a source of risk in the education sector. It’s why now more than ever, social media checks are vital, even when they’re not legally required.

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Social media never forgets

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A problem potentially no one saw coming when social media was first launched was that things stay on there forever and you don’t necessarily even have control over what content is being uploaded, thanks to features like tagging. This means that something embarrassing posted over a decade ago could still be trailing someone as a digital footprint without their knowledge – it’s innocent, but probably not the best thing to have lingering around on your social media profiles. And while a social media check isn’t legally required, there could be very inappropriate things linked to a teacher. Paired with the fact that 77% of children aged 8-17 have social media accounts, it’s inevitable that they will run a search on their teacher. This poses several risks – to the teachers, children, and parents.

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Why do you need a specific social media check?

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A teacher’s digital footprint could contain absolutely anything, from drunken photos on a night out (perhaps inappropriate, definitely embarrassing) to more sinister content such as casual racism and sexism. The first example may do no harm in the long run, but the second example could affect a teacher’s behaviour (e.g. discriminatory behaviour/language) or influence the kind of topics and attitudes they teach – impacting kids potentially forever. 

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A social media check could therefore mitigate risk and help you get the full picture on who you’re hiring, especially as teachers are much more than their job titles; they also offer pastoral care and advice to young people, so their views, opinions and personality are also important aspects when hiring. While a background check can tell you whether or not the person can legally work for you, it doesn’t tell you about who they are on a day-to-day basis; a social media check can give you an overview of who they are and how they may potentially interact with students and other staff members. Not only would this foster a more positive environment for everyone in the long term, but you could also use this opportunity to inform a hire of something inappropriate on their socials – giving them a chance to delete it before they even step foot in the building and before it can do any real damage to a school’s reputation, the teacher, the students and even the parents. It also allows you to take action if you find anything disturbing – you may choose to rescind an offer if seriously damaging social media posts crop up in the check. This could negate potential harm to children in the future as well as a school’s reputation, as a bad hire in the education sector isn’t only a financially poor decision, but one that would have a serious impact on children’s developing minds.

The flip side: the risk to teachers

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Then there’s the risk to teachers – a social media check could actually protect them in terms of digital hygiene, allowing them the opportunity to clean up any embarrassing or harmful posts. It’s no secret that children have curious minds and it’s not hard to find someone online – a quick Google is enough to find anyone on social media. Children could therefore quite easily find their teachers’ social media profiles and come across things about their private lives, their friends and families, or other details. This could lead to several things – teenagers may use these details to embarrass or even harass teachers, private information could be passed around and leaked to other students, teachers may even gang up on each other! This is just the tip of the iceberg, and it’s why social media checks are becoming increasingly important. A snide comment from a pupil here and there may not harm a teacher, but exposure of their sensitive and personal information could have wide-ranging consequences. By introducing social media checks, you can safeguard and protect your staff.

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Improving parent-teacher relationships

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Parents may also be in favour of a school conducting social media checks – they want to know who is teaching their children. While teachers are meant to be politically impartial, the way they frame certain subjects will inevitably be framed according to their beliefs. A social media check could get you ahead and help you allay any fears parents may have about their child’s education, fostering a positive parent-teacher relationship. Alternatively, if someone has radical political views, you can take time and make a decision as to what to do – you may want to warn them that their social media posts may alienate parents, have a tough conversation or – if extreme – terminate their contract.

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While not legally necessary, there are clear instances within the educational sector where undertaking a social media check could be seen as socially necessary to protect children and teachers alike. Thanks to hard-hitting cultural pieces such as Adolescence, there has never been more focus on the influence social media can have. While the show is still at the forefront of our minds, it might be the right time to investigate how Veremark’s social media check can increase safety and mitigate risk.

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