As long as it is school related or within the “school setting,” the Department of Education (DepED) said that teachers are still allowed to use social media platforms to reach out or communicate with their students.
Education Spokesperson Michael Poa, during a press conference on Monday, Nov. 7, made some clarifications on the DepED Order No. 49 series of 2022 which amended DepEd Order No. 47 series of 2022 or the “Promotion of Professionalism in the Implementation and Delivery of Basic Education Programs and Services.”
Poa explained that while the issuance prohibits DepEd officials and personnel to “avoid relationships, interaction, and communication, including following social media with learners outside of the school setting, except if they are relatives,” teachers may still utilize social media platforms for matters related to school.
“To clarify, the real purpose of DO no. 49 is really to promote professionalism,” Poa said in a mix of English and Filipino on the sidelines of the press conference. “All we really want is to have a clear delineation between teachers and learners,” he added.
Poa also told teachers that it is not forbidden to reach out to students as long as it is within the school setting.
“Ayaw natin ma-blur yung line at magkaroon ng relationship that it different from the teacher-learner at doon po nagkakaroon tayo ng problema (We do not want to blur the line and have a relationship that is different from the teacher-learner because this is when we start having problems),” he said.
The latest issuance of DepED has been receiving mixed reactions, especially from teachers as they have been using social media platforms to communicate with their students during the implementation of distance learning brought about by the Covid-19 pandemic.
READ:
https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/04/friends-no-more-deped-tells-personnel-not-to-befriend-students-outside-the-school-setting/
“Kaya natin sinasabi doon na kapag within school setting, wala naman po tayong problema (That's why we said there that if it is within a school setting, we don't have a problem with it),” Poa said.
Poa furthered that within the school setting does not mean that the interaction has to be “physically within the school.
For example, in schools that were allowed to implement blended or distance learning, Poa said that teachers may still use social media platforms to communicate with their students. “Kapag may biglang may kailangan ibigay na instruction si teacher sa mga learners, like a class activity, for example, di naman bawal na ma-reach out ang teachers sa learners dahil po within the school setting po siya (If the teacher suddenly needs to give instruction to the learners, like a class activity, for example, teachers are allowed to reach out to learners because these are within the school setting),” Poa explained.
Poa added that the new DepED issuance is a reiteration of existing Civil Service rules, especially on professionalism for public servants like the officials, and teaching and non-teaching personnel under the agency.
“The only thing we really want to avoid is that our teachers cross the line that's supposed to separate teachers and learners,” Poa explained. “Why? because that's when they have to be professionals,” he added.
The recent directive, Poa added, is for all the employees of DepED. “This includes DepED personnel, we all are civil servants, the teachers are persons of authority and it is expected from teachers, from DepEd personnel to be professional with their dealings with the public , with the learners,” he explained.
Through the issuance, Poa said that DepED aims to remind the personnel that “we should exude that professionalism we should always uphold the honor of DepED.”
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https://mb.com.ph/2022/11/05/teachers-find-depeds-order-to-cut-social-media-ties-with-students-ironic/