Sydney: A German state has reportedly banned contact between teachers and students on Facebook over the site`s storage of personal data for commercial purposes and also because it spoils the professional distance.
The Rhineland-Palatinate state has sent a message to teachers, intimating them about the policy barring them from chatting with students online and giving them access to photos and personal information.
State Education Ministry spokesman Wolf-Juergen Karle said that in certain schools, teachers and students talk about school-related topics over Facebook, which should happen over secure online educational platforms.
The ministry further said that Facebook`s business model of collecting personal data for commercial purposes is not compatible with the educational mission of the state`s schools.
The report said that other German states have also implemented or are considering measures restricting contact between students and teachers on social media networks.