Sanction teachers who circulate classroom videos – IFEST

The Institute for Education Studies (IFEST) has condemned the circulation of videos of classroom activities by teachers in Ghanaians schools.

IFEST said it finds “it a very worrying current trend on social media where some teachers allegedly record pupils during instructional sessions and post them on social media”.

A video has been trending on social media in which a boy, supposedly in primary school, was asking his teacher sexually explicit questions. There is another video of a girl in a primary school who seemed to be scared and refused to touch a computer mouse during an ICT lesson with the perception that the computer mouse could bite her.

In a statement on Wednesday, August 24, signed by Acting Executive Director, Peter P. Anti, IFEST said: “Teachers are supposed to use technology in their teaching; more importantly to record the instructional sessions to enable them review the lesson with the sole aim of improving on the next lesson. Under no circumstances should a teacher record a pupil and share it on social media for the child to be ridiculed by the public.”

IFEST further explained that teachers should note that, they are supposed to be facilitators or guides during the instructional period and not to intimidate or psychologically traumatise any pupil when he/she is not up to task.

“We see such practice as unprofessional, unethical and abuse of the right of the child. We therefore call on the Ghana Education Service, The Ministry of Education and the National Teaching Council to codify the use of social media by teachers. Again, we call on various bodies that enforce the right of the child to step in and speak against this worrying trend before it gets out of hand,” the statement added.