Policies on Friending Students

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sciteach
Posts: 258
Joined: Sat Dec 13, 2014 7:49 am

Policies on Friending Students

Post by sciteach »

Hi All,

Earlier today I had a former student try and friend me on facebook (I know - I'm a boomer) and it got me thinking - what is your countries or schools policy (or lack thereof) between communication of current and former students?

For me - it's a big red flag and I felt guilty replying that I can't friend students due to child safety requirements for teachers. Just to reiterate - I feel guilty just replying (it seems like a grey area) not that I won't accept the friend request.
seinfeld
Posts: 112
Joined: Sat Oct 25, 2008 11:47 pm

Re: Policies on Friending Students

Post by seinfeld »

I've had a few students connect with me (mostly on LinkedIn) who are now adults - I see no problem with that. If they are not an adult then hell no.
Helen Back
Posts: 242
Joined: Fri Dec 28, 2012 4:16 pm

Re: Policies on Friending Students

Post by Helen Back »

I've got a few ex-students in my social media. I haven't set myself a particular age restriction, although from memory they had all graduated, but when we connected we were no longer living in the same country.
sid
Posts: 1392
Joined: Sat Dec 02, 2006 11:44 am

Re: Policies on Friending Students

Post by sid »

Former students, now adults, finished with high school, sure. Have fun. Responsibly. Even better if you are no longer in the same school/country as where you knew them. Only friend the ones you truly trust and enjoy as people.
I have some former students who turned into legitimate friends.
PsyGuy
Posts: 10789
Joined: Wed Oct 12, 2011 9:51 am
Location: Northern Europe

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Post by PsyGuy »

Two years after graduating and they are adults, before that no.
shadowjack
Posts: 2138
Joined: Sat Oct 06, 2012 9:49 am

Re: Policies on Friending Students

Post by shadowjack »

Former students, former schools. Never my present school.

I am in touch with students as far back as 1996 and as recent as 2018. But never from a present school and never if I am in the same country.
expatscot
Posts: 307
Joined: Thu Jan 14, 2016 4:26 am

Re: Policies on Friending Students

Post by expatscot »

In general, I don't accept (if they find me - my social media settings were in place when you could effectively make yourself unfindable, before Zuckerberg realied he could make more money if you couldn't do that) but as a rule it would be not in the same country, and at least 3 years after graduation.
Smokegreynblues
Posts: 29
Joined: Thu Oct 24, 2019 9:50 pm

Re: Policies on Friending Students

Post by Smokegreynblues »

If we look at the distant past. A teacher wasn't just a teacher in school, they stay on like a mentor for life. So relationships with a teacher would often go beyond the school, I.e after the student/person enters adulthood. The way history folds, due to a few bad apples, we have made policies equivalent to chains that bind us all. Tarnishing the sanctity of a student-teacher relationship. It's better to be safe than sorry forms the cornerstone. It actually changes the nature of such relationships and makes people be risk-averse.

In a modern day scenario, I would follow the UK child safeguarding rules irrespective of individual opinion.
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