Impact of Parental WhatsApp Groups on School Dynamics: Concerns and Consequences

On WhatsApp groups, parents frequently talk about their kids in ways that school administrators claim can be harmful to certain youngsters.

Talks that parents used to have outside of school, like when they would show up to pick up their kids after school, are now happening all day long.

According to a teacher, there are moments when the conversation turns nasty because the parents don't realize they are putting their kids in danger.

The principal of St. James' School, Terence Ireland, stated, "There have been times when we have pulled up parents and asked them to withdraw from such groups."

These WhatsApp groups are meant to inform parents about school-related events, but some parents are abusing them, according to Ireland.

Occasionally, the talks center on kids who excel in extracurricular activities or academics, as well as kids who have a reputation for being unruly.

A teacher said, "Let's say that when some kids use bad language, the parents usually point the finger at one specific child who is known to have used it once or twice."

According to a school official, a group of parents at one school demanded that three "boisterous" boys be moved to a different area.

A mom of a Class IX kid at a different school reported to the administrators that other parents were claiming in a WhatsApp group that her son's instructors were giving him special treatment.

"When one is talking about someone, it is easier to shoot a message than to face a person," stated Nupur Ghosh, vice principal of Mahadevi Birla World Academy.

Teachers reported that there are parents who occasionally feel so pressured to leave the group.

Parents' WhatsApp groups have been around for a while, but since the Covid epidemic, they have grown in popularity, according to authorities at several schools.

According to a teacher, the fact that there are "official" WhatsApp groups for parents of the students in each class is "unofficial" approval for parents to form their own groups.

The mother of a Class I child stated, "One feels they might miss out on information if they are not part of these groups because a lot of communication happens in them."

"It is a useful tool for parents and the school to communicate, but it needs to be used properly," Indus Valley World School director Amita Prasad stated.

Parents are affected by and have become aware of the conversations that take place in these groups.

For instance, when a girl or boy is the target of disciplinary action, the parents of that kid are affected by the discussion of the matter in the groups. That is a worry that many parents have also expressed, according to Prasad.

These conversations also violate people's privacy. Prasad declared, "Nobody has any right to discuss a child other than the child's parent."

Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Press Time staff and has been published from a syndicated feed.