TANJONG KARANG: The Education Ministry (MoE) issued guidelines last month requiring teachers to obtain written consent from parents or guardians before recording and sharing images, videos, or audio of students on social media.
Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the move aims to tackle sexual harassment in schools and safeguard students.
"These guidelines remind teachers to seek parental consent when creating content, as we take children's safety and consent seriously," she said during the STEM Hub launch at the Tanjong Karang Teacher Activity Centre.
Yayasan Petronas chief executive officer Shariah Nelly Francis and Education Malaysia deputy director-general (of School Operations) Zainal Abas were also present.
On Sept 6, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said that teachers must adhere to the law, and the MoE should ensure compliance with the Child Act 2001 when producing social media content.
Fadhlina added further that the guidelines apply to everyone, not just teachers, to ensure caution when featuring students.
"I trust educators will comply to ensure everyone's safety, especially the children," she said.
Previously, the MoE informed schools about using parental declaration letters for consent to record and share student content on social media, aligning with its 'Guidelines on Values and Ethics of Social Media Use' issued on Oct 4 last year.
This is in line with the Public Officers (Conduct and Discipline) Regulations 1993, which prohibits public servants from sharing content involving school administrators, teachers, students, parents, or guardians without permission.