Manitoba’s government has directed all publicly funded schools and school divisions to review and revise their digital communication policies, forbidding one-on-one online contact between school employees and students on unmonitored platforms, Education and Early Childhood Learning Minister Tracy Schmidt announced Friday, Oct. 23.
Policy change aimed at protecting students, clarifying boundaries
The directive requires schools to explicitly prohibit staff from using personal social media accounts, private messaging apps, texting or direct messaging features on social networking platforms to communicate one-on-one with students. School divisions must communicate any policy changes to students, staff and families in their communities.
Schmidt said the measures are intended to protect students and establish clearer boundaries around communication between educators and young people.
“Teachers have to be able to talk to their students about school. But there should never be a reason to hide that conversation from the eyes of parents or school leaders,” Schmidt said.
The directive stops short of banning all online communication between educators and students, focusing instead on one-on-one exchanges that occur on personal or unmonitored channels. The government emphasised that teachers still need avenues to communicate with pupils about school matters, but those conversations should occur through monitored or official channels.
Voices from schools and child-protection groups
Local educators and child-protection advocates welcomed the clarity the directive provides. Marisa Roziere, a high school teacher at J.H. Bruns Collegiate, said the policy reiterates the importance of appropriate boundaries.
“This policy directive not only reiterates the importance of establishing boundaries surrounding communication between staff and students, but also ensures students and faculty have a clear understanding of what is appropriate and what is not,” Roziere said.
Lianna McDonald, executive director of the Canadian Centre for Child Protection, said setting clear expectations for online communication helps create safer learning environments.
“Reinforcing clear boundaries when communicating online fosters a
The source material truncated McDonald’s comment; however, the centre’s involvement reflects a broader push among child-safety organisations for explicit guidance on digital interactions between staff and minors.
What schools must do now
Under the directive, school divisions are expected to:
- Review existing digital communication policies
- Revise policies to prohibit one-on-one contacts on personal or unmonitored platforms
- Notify students, staff and families of any changes to guidelines
The province did not provide a timeline for when all divisions must complete their reviews, nor did the announcement specify enforcement mechanisms or penalties for non-compliance. The directive emphasises transparency with parents and school leaders about any communications between staff and students.
Context and local impact
Recent incidents in the province have underscored concerns about inappropriate private communications between school employees and students. Local reporting has previously detailed cases in which teachers faced disciplinary action over secret messaging with minors. The provincial directive appears intended to reduce the risk of such situations by closing off private, unmonitored channels.
For families, the change aims to ensure that exchanges between a student and a staff member are visible to caregivers or school administrators, making it easier to monitor safety and maintain professional boundaries. For teachers, the directive may require adjustments in how they handle after-hours questions, classroom follow-up or informal mentoring, prompting greater use of official school platforms and district-managed tools.
Questions remaining
Key questions remain about how the policy will be implemented on the ground. School divisions must determine which communication platforms are considered acceptable, how staff will be trained on new expectations, and what supports will be provided to educators to transition away from personal channels. Parents and staff will be watching for clear guidance on acceptable alternatives for rapid or urgent communications.
| Directive element | What it means |
|---|---|
| Prohibited channels | Personal social media accounts, private messaging apps, texting, social network direct messages for one-on-one student contact |
| Required actions | Review and revise policies; notify students, staff and families |
School divisions will need to balance student safety with practical communication needs. Many divisions already use monitored learning-management systems, school email accounts and official messaging platforms; the directive encourages broader adoption of those options for teacher-student exchanges.
The provincial announcement followed public calls for clearer rules around online contact between educators and young people. As divisions update policies, families and staff are likely to seek specifics about which tools will be recommended and how urgent communications will be handled outside school hours.
The directive represents a provincial-level attempt to standardise expectations on digital communication in the classroom environment and to reduce opportunities for secretive exchanges between staff and students. School divisions across Manitoba will now be responsible for translating the directive into concrete local rules and practices for their communities.
— Reporting from Manitoba
