Simply befriending or communicating with a student through any social media network can have potentially devastating consequences on a teacher’s career.

As parts of the USA begin to make social networking between teachers and students illegal, many people are now asking if the same should be done here.

Local schools contacted by the Central Western Daily did not return calls about their in-school policies or attitudes towards their teachers interacting with students in social media.

The Department of Education advises teachers to avoid being friends with students on Facebook.

“The Code of Conduct warns that your professional relationship with students may be compromised if you invite students to join your personal electronic social networking sites or accept students’ invitation to join theirs, so it is advisable that students and teachers are not friends on Facebook,” a Department of Education and Training spokesperson said.

The Department of Education Code of Conduct does not specifically ban teachers and students being friends on Facebook, but advises it could result in breaches of their professional relationships.

Do you think it should be made illegal for teachers and students to be friends on Facebook? Visit our online poll at http://www.centralwesterndaily.com.au/polls/