Privacy
I read a couple of articles on the BBC website’s Education News that rather annoyed me, all linked to what teachers can and can’t do.
The first that annoyed me is this culture of non-contact with students. Anytime I touch a student I get shouted at “You can’t touch me!”, to which I reply that yes I can. I took a course and have a certificate to say that I am trained to use reasonable force on students, a right all members of staff have. That is one situation where contact is necessary. Also, to me, general day to day stuff. I’ll put my hand on a shoulder or elbow to move people along or out of my way. I’ll tap them to get their attention, again nothing that could ever cause harm and often it’s done in a joking way. The tough situation is one of comforting an upset child. Now yes I would never hug a student, and I think at secondary school age certainly this must not be done. I just hated that what this article quoted from a Headteacher that if a female member of staff comforted an upset student she would be seen as a motherly type, where as if a man does it it is seen as wrong. He might be a child predator! Grr.
Anyway that was nothing compared to reading that in Scotland, teachers are not allowed to have their own blogs! How ridiculous. Yes those in positions of care should not be discussing the lives of our charges. But anytime I talk about work I always make sure I never mention names or where I work. Yes anyone that already knows information about me such as my full name, the names of my wife, daughter and dog would be able to work out who I am. The only thing that ties this blog to me really is the WHOIS information, which I find infuriating and would like to at some point look into a way of changing that information. I think there are services out there that will let you do this but I think that takes control over your website away from you to an extent. I could of course move this to somewhere like Blogspot or WordPress’s own hosting and then I would be more protected.
Anyway it all boils down to this idea that teachers should be this beacon of perfection. Not only are they expected to educate students but they are social workers and surrogate parents. To sweeten the deal now we are having aspects of our non-working lives subject to new rules. I’m sure it won’t be long before this rule applies to the whole UK. They can stuff themselves, of course. I will blog till I die. The whole thing just isn’t enforceable. If they gave me a warning, I could within 10 minutes set up this place on WordPress, change the name that I use and if I wanted to be very paranoid, make sure all posts are published with a time delay. There will be no team of expert internet detectives trying to catch me out.
I hate that it leaves me yet again thinking if I should make more of an effort to be anonymous. I won’t for now, as of course this ‘rule’ is only in Scotland. I will still use common sense and not name names or give any other information that could lead people to discover who I’m talking about.
Moan over. I have a relatively easy day ahead of me so I can’t complain too much.
Just a quick question, does anyone read this? I doubt it, but I think I link to it on a couple of forums so it is possible.
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