First Education News

The rise of the smartphone and omnipresence of mobile networks facilitates instant messaging services like WhatsApp, Facebook Messenger, WeChat. These apps have propelled communication into real time and revolutionised the ease of conversing without having to make a phone call (which in itself is a problem but hey, who doesn’t like an emoji 😀).

The ease of WhatsApp and it’s common day-to-day use in personal communications is its ultimate downfall for use within the workplace, particularly in schools. People are so used to conversing with friends over instant messaging services, it’s not surprising that this method has crept into how colleagues interact during the working day. The easy ability to share information in real time or capture photographs on your smartphone and share over WhatsApp is just one facet of many crossover issues relating to child protection, data protection and managing personal/work accounts, evidencing paper trails. 
Issues with WhatsApp as teaching tool

Getting addicted – getting aloof

These days kids tend to chat on WhatsApp even when they are hanging around with real world friends. This way either they left back at their studies or they are left alone gradually by their real world friends when they don’t get your required response.

Dependency on social network

Students tend to check or chat on WhatsApp or other social network, constant expectation of praise or rewards. This ultimately harms their concentration and grades at studies.

Recognition or identity crisis
This person is online and then why is still S/He not replying back? This is a common question comes in mind if there are no ping. It breaks their concentration even when they are studying or talking with parents or other people. Uh

Gossips
No need to talk or chat. Only one status is enough to create a gossip collection. They peep into your status so that they can ask, “What happened? Is everything okay?” It creates unwanted classroom and corridor discussions of one’s life.

Data security
Students personal numbers are shared and can be copied, misused by other peers. Teachers remarks, teaching style or inputs can be questioned by anyone or ridicules by third party without context
According to WhatsApp terms and policy data can be used for advt and sold the third party. Staff personal information is also open for scrunity

For the above reasons, WhatsApp communication between staff and students is inadvisable. Online communication with students should only be carried out through a school-approved channel that provides a managed learning environment where all communications are transparent. Schools are expected to have stringent professional boundaries set out in their social media policy to ensure staff understand