UAE parents, teachers debate school WhatsApp groups impact
A few folks agree that the updates are helpful, while others note that people share personal problems or issues.
WhatsApp groups can sometimes become a place for gripes, confusion, and unrelated chats, making what should be useful into a bother. Parents in the UAE noticed that this problem impacts school WhatsApp groups, too.
It's a common belief among parents that WhatsApp groups aid swift and effective conversations about school happenings, homework, and crucial updates. However, they highlight the downside of these groups getting bogged down with unrelated posts. The issue they highlight is some parents using the group as a platform for airing personal difficulties or complaints, and not sticking to school-related matters. Such subjects often don't resonate with most members and are better served in private messages.
Moralizing chats
Karen Carvalho, involved with a Dubai school, commented, "Parents do have concerns. Text-based platforms like WhatsApp can stir confusion, lacking tone and context. I once saw over 50 texts in less than an hour where a parent debated how to interpret the newsletter, asking others not to be patronizing. Groups sometimes see parents uniting against what they see as unfair actions, school rules, or decisions. So, while it does have benefits, often, it may become a problem several times in a school year."
Beneficial for updates
Living in Dubai, Christine Quartier La Tente, finds WhatsApp groups helpful. Her child is at Raffles World Academy. They can aid community-building and be great for speedy updates, she stated. This tool helps working parents a lot, she shared, as these groups provide support. School emails sometimes get overlooked. But these groups remind us about various school events. It is also helpful with queries around homework or about the school’s applications. She further acknowledged cautious exchanges. Information about various logistical and organizational matters is shared and discussed. Deep school-related issues aren't usually brought up. Mothers tend to avoid being too opinionated to avoid any backlash, she noted.
Juggling multiple groups
Bhavya Rao, a mom with two kids at Dubai British School, admitted that juggling class updates and endless birthday reminders can be quite tough when you have more than one child. Admittedly, it's sometimes beneficial - important reminders can be forgotten when a parent is dealing with many tasks. As she pointed out, "But when the school year starts, there are too many coffee morning messages which I find unnecessary. They aren't directly tied to the school." The overflow of class WhatsApp group messages becomes irritating, especially when the information isn't relevant. Nonetheless, she can't ignore it because of the occasional relevant information. Parents offered the idea of forming separate groups to cater to various needs, like one for formal announcements and another for casual and social conversation.
Bhavya stressed the need for a group admin. An admin could guide discussions, making sure they stay on track, and prevent chaos from taking over. She remembered, "I once saw a sequence of unneeded messages... A dispute about school dismissal parking led to an argument between a few moms, with some taking sides. This made the chats unpleasant. Lots of people, including me, stayed silent. Discussions often deviate. However, the success of these groups is largely dependent on the admins. They should put in effort to manage discussions and calm upset parents," she concluded.
Communicating appropriately
In Dubai, principals point out that a KHDA-approved agreement, which offers lucid guidance on communication habits with schools, binds schools and parents. Simon Herbert, chief at GEMS International School – Al Khail, disclosed, "Our Parent Relations Executive are present in several WhatsApp groups. Even so, teachers aren’t part of it.
We converse with the school via face-to-face chats, email, and some educational apps like Managebac. Sure enough, WhatsApp is handy but we wish parents to directly approach the school for queries about their children. Social media isn't the place for assurance and understanding patterns." He stressed, "Our school spirit emphasizes 'Respect, Trust, and Ambition'. Hence, we ask all community members, including parents, to follow the first two key cultural values in communication."
Leaders also shared that schools sometimes form momentary WhatsApp groups with parents during inter-school events, for immediate updates on logistics. Post event, these groups are removed. Amity School Dubai's Principal, Sangita Chima, stated, "In our school, teachers don’t participate in parent WhatsApp groups. At times, these groups contribute to too much information and casual chatter, decreasing professionalism. In these groups, communication should ideally be courteous and precise.”
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