Facebook warning for teachers

State school teachers are being warned that contact with students on social networking websites such as Facebook could lead to accusations they are "grooming" pupils for sex.

The Education Department has produced new guidelines for teachers to raise their awareness of the risks they face when socialising on the internet.

The document, called Let's Face It, says using social media such as Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, email and transmitting pictures via computers or mobile phones could give teachers a false sense of anonymity and encourage high levels of intimacy.

This could blur teachers' professional boundaries and lead to allegations of inappropriate contact with students or improper conduct outside school hours. "Staff need to be aware that web socialising with students could easily be classified as 'conduct open to misinterpretation' given that it mirrors the grooming behaviour of paedophiles," it says.

It warns teachers not to share personal email addresses or Facebook identities with students, but stops short of banning all online contact.

Director-general Sharyn O'Neill said the department strongly advised staff against becoming friends with students on Facebook and other social networking sites.

"Even well-intentioned conduct could be interpreted as being consistent with the conduct of an adult grooming a child," she said.

Teachers should also think about what judgments could be made about their professional suitability.

"It is important that staff consider what information about them or images of them could be accessed by others and whether they believe these represent them in a light acceptable to their role in working with children," she said.

Ms O'Neill said the department's standards and integrity directorate had drawn up the resource as a proactive measure in light of increasing community concerns.

She was not aware of any incidents of inappropriate use of social network sites.

Catholic Education Office deputy director Mary Retel said Catholic school teachers were aware that any social interaction with students outside of school was inappropriate. This included access to teachers' personal Facebook pages.

Association of Independent Schools of WA executive directory Valerie Gould said individual schools had their own policies. But many would remind teachers that social networking sites were public and might be seen by students and their parents.

Independent Education Union secretary Theresa Howe supported banning private school teachers from befriending students on Facebook.

"It's important to have proper policies that take account of the changing communications structures because commonsense is not always enough," she said.

The warning to teachers comes as students face investigation for writing defamatory and threatening messages on Facebook about staff at an Albany high school. Education Minister Liz Constable said the students' behaviour was appalling and should be punished.