TRINITONIAN ONLINE JAN 2018

NO
Of all the parents we asked, (approximately ten) there was
a resounding vote for “No, school matters should not be
discussed on Facebook!”
Speaking on behalf of the group, Mike* said that they
were of the opinion that social media should be used for
positive news only.
“Negative stories that make the ‘news’ on social media,
negatively affect the reputation of the school, which
negatively affects the children of that school – our
children! Parents should stand together and protect the
school at all costs.”
All the parents asked in this survey agreed that the
sensationalistic nature of social media should not be given
an opportunity to take school issues out of context.
“Parents should be adult enough to address specific
concerns directly with the school,” continues Mike.
“Stories on social media can become so exaggerated and
other parents believe what they read, which means they
are not necessarily getting the correct information!”
Another Trinityhouse parent who works in communications,
specifically in social media, says that social media platforms
are essentially everyone’s personal PR manager: you only
put content on social media that you want to garner a
reaction for, whether it’s positive or negative.
The saying “that’s old news” doesn’t even have a place in
today’s society because not only does a story live online
forever, but there are significant legal implications around
irresponsible social media usage too. Negative stories
could also have consequences when the children of today
enter the working world – employers and HR departments
are able to conduct a significant amount of research about
an individual before they’ve met them for the first time.
Dr Lizzie Harrison, who recently hosted a talk at one of the
Trinityhouse campuses, said, “If you’re not prepared to
see it on a billboard, don’t put it on social media.”
The group further said that should negative stories
manage to make their way onto social media, they feel
that the issue needs to be dealt with immediately with
a response from the school or school representative. If
parents want further information surrounding an issue,
our respondents would like to see parents use a bit of
common sense and address this directly with the school
and for the school to be transparent with its feedback.
YES
Interestingly, only one parent answered “yes” to this
question. Megan* has three kids who attend two different
schools. She says that the Facebook account at her son’s
school is managed so well that it has actually brought the
parents and teachers closer together.
“What has become apparent to me is that for the first
time in history, the man/woman in the street has a voice,”
says Megan. “Before Facebook, we were managed by big
corporates, we were fobbed off by massive institutions,
we were silenced by educational facilities and to get any
positive change was like moving a mountain! But with
Facebook, we finally have a platform where our voices can
be heard, so why would we silence important discussions
that might assist others? Yes, people are immature,
people misuse social media platforms and often they have
other motives but if managed correctly, social media can
open discussions and be an honest and powerful enforcer
of change.
“By not talking about it on social media do you think that
the problem will be silenced? Do you know what gets
discussed at birthday parties and school sports events
when parents get together? If there is a disgruntled
parent, believe me, they will talk about their issue to
everyone, with no opportunity for the school to manage
the negative backlash!”
Megan’s son was once the topic of a hot Facebook
debate when he was banned from a rugby match due to
bad behaviour on the bus. Another parent posted how
they felt the team and the school’s performance has been
compromised and that another punishment should have
been enforced.
“The school was very quick to pick up on the post
and to open the topic for discussion,” says Megan.
“They got both sides of the story and they posted the
two views and asked the parents to give their input.
Any posts that were overly emotional or deliberately
personal were given a warning or even removed.
But on the whole what happened was an open, civil
discussion where everyone had an opportunity to be
heard. Unfortunately, the overall consensus was that
my son deserved to be excluded, which upset me at
the time but I respected the opinions. Through this
open discussion, my son was forced to apologise and
believe me, he never misbehaved again! And everyone
was very supportive of us, and I walked away feeling
that it really does take a village to raise a child. Positive
change through open discussion!” `
The survey continues!
We would like to know what your opinion is on this matter. Please mail us at Trinitonianreporter@contactmedia.co.za
to share your views. They are important to us.
* Names have been changed
The Trinitonian | 31