Social networking may “come back to haunt teachers”, says teachers’ union

Teachers who friend pupils or parents on social networking sites may find their activities “come back to haunt them” according to warnings issued by the UK’s National Union of Teachers.

Speaking at a fringe meeting of the NUT’s 2011 conference the union also warned teachers to use the highest privacy settings on their social networking sites  to protect themselves from ‘snooping’ employers and students.  According to the meeting the NUT has become aware that school heads have been using social networking sites to vet potential and current teachers.

The meeting heard how one teacher found it difficult to get a job after an photograph of her with a holding a pint was found on a social networking site.

The meeting was also told how students are snooping on teachers and academic staff through search engines and social networks such as Twitter and Facebook.

Specifically the NUT warns teachers against posting images of themselves or their school and from discussing the school or students on social networking sites.

This is the latest in a series of privacy warnings issued about digital technologies this week following the discovery that Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android phones track users locations.