Teachers across Scotland are to be warned about using social networking sites and chatrooms as part of proposals for a new code of conduct for the profession.
The General Teaching Council for Scotland (GTCS), the professional body for teachers, will launch a consultation on its draft code of professionalism on Monday, which spells the dangers posed by the internet for the first time. The move follows an explosion of internet chat- rooms and social networking sites such as Facebook, Bebo and Myspace.
In March, a psychology teacher was sacked from her post at a sixth-form college in Greater Manchester after being accused of sending inappropriate messages to pupils through her personal MySpace page.
The draft code urges teachers to "exercise extreme caution in connection with internet sites such as chatrooms, message boards and newsgroups and avoid inappropriate communication with individuals under 18 or with whom you may be in a position of trust.
"As a teacher you must be conscious that you are a role model and that young people may be strongly influenced by things you may do or say within or outwith the classroom."
The move was welcomed by the Educational Institute of Scotland (EIS), Scotland's largest teaching union.
Ronnie Smith, the general secretary, said: "We welcome the intent of the GTCS in seeking to clarify the professional expectations placed on teachers and to make these explicit to teachers, parents and employers.
"It is important that the code reflects changes in society and takes account of advances in technology and other evolving circumstances which can impact on the way that teachers do their jobs and the ways in which they interact with pupils and others, both within and outwith the formal school setting."
The draft Code of Professionalism and Conduct for the teaching profession will be launched on Monday.
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