Facebook Policy

 BUCKRIDGE PRIVATE SCHOOL

FACEBOOK AND FACEBOOK PAGE POLICY

1.0 Policy Statement

The school acknowledges that there is an increasing number of people using social networking sites. The widespread availability and use of social networking applications brings opportunities to understand, engage, and communicate with audiences in

new ways. By using social networking applications, we aim to:

• grow our school and community’s understanding of social media and make

  connecting with our school more convenient for our families.

• allow our community to keep up to date with activities through a medium which is preferred by many.

• seek input (through comments and ‘likes’) from our families.

• create an online school community by building our school spirit.

• provide a positive focus for our school that bring everyone’s attention to the things we do that make our school community great.

2.0 Implementation:

Teachers are to:

• adhere to the Professional Code of Conduct when communicating

electronically with parents and students and ensure that the discussion remains formal and business in nature. Breaches of this policy can be defined as sharing information that can be regarded as:

2.1. Illegal

• Child pornography

• Objectionable material

2.2. Extreme

Non-criminal material that would harm its recipients in any way possible or has adverse effects on the one viewing them.

2.3. Critical

Material that:

• has a target audience or age it is intended for or is only available for hire or sale and covers sexually explicit material that contains real depictions of actual sexual

intercourse and other sexual activity between consenting adults;

• Involves racial or religious vilification;

• Is unlawfully discriminatory;

• Is defamatory;

• Involves sexual harassment; bullying sentiments or

• Brings or has the potential to bring the employee and or learners indisrepute.

Where there are issues of a potentially serious criminal nature such as threats or inappropriate comments, the matter will be referred to the School Principal for further investigation and processing.

3.0 Excessive personal use of Facebook during working hours by employees

This category includes personal use, which adversely affects, or could reasonably

be expected to adversely affect the performance of the employee’s duties and the use is more than insignificant.

4.0 Learners miss use of Facebook page

If a learner or learners are found contravening any guidelines laid down in this policy the following actions shall be taken by the relevant authorities:

4.1.         The policy shall be read in its entirety to the learner or learners for first time offenders.

4.2.         The parents shall be notified through writing in the communication book by the HOD.

4.3.         The learner/s shall be booked for detention on the third transgression.

A learner/s who keep on contravening this policy maybe suspended or even expelled if their action threatens the life of other learners at school e.g. Cyber bullying.

5.0 Identifiable Accounts

All users (following or commenting) interacting with Buckridge Private School’s

Facebook page, must do so using a Facebook account that is identifiable by the School Administrators manning the Facebook page.

6.0 Posting Comments

Buckridge Private School encourages parents, teachers and general staff to share positive comments in relation to current events. We remind our Facebook community that there are many issues which are best dealt with privately, in consultation with relevant staff members.

Issues involving students or staff must not be raised on our Facebook page. When comments are made, we are happy for people to register their support through a Face book comment or a ‘like’. We will however, not support interactions that incite negative sentiments. Names of staff, students, or school communitymembers mustnot be used in any negative postings.

7.0 When Can I Use Names In Posts?

You can use first names in posts when you wish to acknowledge someone’s great work or contribution. Our philosophy is that our Facebook page will be used to build our school spirit, inform our community about our work, and serve as a connecting tool to market our programs and school in a broader context.

8.0 How to Interact With The Facebook Page

Initially, users will be able to comment on the school’s postings and on comments made by other users. Users will also be able to ‘like’ or post a comment by clicking on it. Users will not be able to author a posting of their own or load media such asvideos or photos as these actions can only be done by the Administrators managing the platform.

9.0 Underage Facebook Users

Buckridge Private School does not endorse children under the age of thirteen years of age (a threshold imposed by Facebook), having their own Facebook account. We encourage children, under parental supervision, to view our school’s Facebook page and contribute to content. We believe the conduct of parents, senior phase learners and teachers on our Facebook page will serve as a role model for our students on how to behave in social media spaces.

10.0 Prohibition of a User

BUCKRIDGE PRIVATE SCHOOL reserves the right to viewing, interacting and posting on our Facebook page.  Actions resulting in deliberate breaches to this policy may include prohibiting a user from interacting on the school’s Facebook page AND ANY OTHER SOCIAL INTERACTIVE MEDIA linked to our page such as our School Website and WhatsApp platform.

11.0 Questions and Answers on Facebook

All questions directed to the school through the Facebook Page Platform shall be handled by the Administrators and forwarded to the relevant Department for action. Our Client Charter mandates the school to respond within the shortest possible time, however in some cases and circumstances the answers might not be readily available due to circumstances beyond the control of the administrators e.g., network problems. We urge all our Facebook users and clients to be patient as we try to serve you in every best way we can.

12.0 Privacy

Parental consent for the use of student names and photos will be obtained upon enrolment. Parents are to notify the school if circumstances arise that require the permission to be cancelled.

13.0 The Law And Facebook’s Terms

Buckridge Private School’s Facebook page operates under the South African Telecommunications Act, The Information regulator and Facebook’s Terms.

14.0 The school reserves the right to suspend or cease using Facebook/Facebook page at the discretion of THE DIRECTOR.

 This policy shall be subject to review annually to accustom it to necessary changes.

SMT.