The intent is admirable -- to crack down on cyber bullying that has become rampant among children. However, the means one principal is taking is more than extreme as she's threatening to expel any child under the age of 13 who has a Facebook account.
According to a story in The Sydney Morning Herald, Leonie Hultgren, the principal of Harlaxton State School in Toowoomba, Queensland, isn't just talking about children who use Facebook during school hours, or those who have been accused of using it maliciously, but rather ANY student that has an account that's not 13. She says those are the rules of the site, and for good reason. She believes children younger than that aren't mature enough to handle the responsibility of it, and she for one isn't going to tolerate it.
Never mind what those people called parents at home think. She's reaching beyond the school doors and into people's homes to dictate what they can and can't do. What a slippery slope that is.
In a pretty condescending letter to parents, Hultgren wrote:
It may seem insignificant to lie about your age to gain access to a social media site but where does it stop? Will they then think it is okay to lie about their age to gain a licence? Parents, you are your child's first teachers. What do you want them to learn? How do you want them live their lives? Is your example a socially acceptable example?
Now, I agree with her to some extent. Helping your kids get around rules and regulations is a dicey move and can set a bad precedent (but mom, you let me lie on Facebook, why can't I get fake ID ? ... ), but that's a parent's prerogative. Some may feel their children are plenty mature to handle it, just like some parents let their children watch R-rated movies. Is she going to expel them too?
As much as I think it's great that schools try to teach good, law-abiding behavior in the classroom, that's where it should end. It's the parents' job to take it from there and either reinforce it or not.
A report last year showed that 7.5 million children under the age of 13 have Facebook accounts in the United States alone, so clearly it's not just a few rogue kids who are the problem. There may not be many kids in school once she starts enforcing this practice. Not only that, it seems like she's taking the easy way out of what's a much more complicated problem. Social media is here to stay and is only going to grow as children grow, so instead of trying to ban them from it, we need to instead teach them more tolerance, respect, and boundaries in all situations -- whether online or off.
Do you think this school is right to expel children under 13 who have Facebook accounts?
Image via fabrice caduc/Flickr
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Comments 22
it's not the school's right. It is the parent's right to allow the child to have facebook or not. As long as they are not on it during school time, the school has no say in the matter.
While the intent and message is admirable, its one thing to dictate what a kid can do in school, but in their homes with their parents is another thing entirely. This is reaching to far.
If a parent lets a kid taste a sip of alcohol on a special occasion at home, this is technically breaking a LAW,not even just a rule. Can a principal expel the kid for that too?
I have to disagree Emberbaby, even a private school principal would be over-reaching if s/he tried to enforce such a policy. Maybe it would be acceptable for a BOADING school, since students are there 24/7, but if the kids go home to the parents' at the end of the day, then it is the parents job. My daughter is not even 5 yet and is definitely not on facebook yet. I'm torn as to whether I would let her have one before she's 13 (or even when she is 13) On the one hand, I'm thinking no way in hell do I want my child in the social media world. On the other hand, I know that social media is going to be a very large part of our society and she needs to have the tools and knowledge that will allow her to navigate that world safely.
while it is the parents job to make those decisions, it clearly isnt happening across the board. i'm sure everyone here has angels, but the very real fact is many parents have no idea what is going on in thier kids regular lives, let alone the cyber ones.
when something happens online while the kids are home that spills into school- the first thing you hear is what is the administration going to do about this? how come my kid isnt protected? does anyone have a better suggestion as to what can be done about the parents not quite as responsbile as yourselves? they are the ones that leave your child exposed, so we all have a vested interest in a solution- faulting an administrator for requiring all students to follow rules is hardly a good start.
My kid has a facebook account to play one of the pet games. I decide who can be his friends (they have to be family or friends that are also my friends) and he is not allowed to post on any walls other than mine and my husband's (his dad).
If this letter had come home I would have sent one back to the principle and we would have begun homeschool sooner than we did. This is way out of line.
I dont think kids that young should have a facebook but she is crossing the line. She has no say in what those parents allow off school property. How will she find out anyway? Is she going to get her ass on facebook and do a search for every child in her school? More and more these days it seems like schools think they "rank" higher than parents.