#GeorgeCampbell - Social media and school protests
Recently, high schools
have been the sites of protests where significant assistance in organising pupils
and getting their message across has been provided by social media. Social media law expert Verlie Oosthuizen investigates.
It is clear that millennials have the greatest grasp of the power of social media and its capacity to effect social change.
The latest example is happening on our doorstep at George Campbell Technical High School where students took to YouTube to complain about incidents of racism. Voice notes have been doing the rounds with counter accusations labelling the pupils as troublemakers.
Videos have been released showing pupils protesting and disrupting classes, saying that they have been discriminated against. The affect of these actions have been far reaching – the teachers accused of racism have been suspended, classes have been disrupted, the department of education has been called in – the atmosphere around the school is tense.
It cannot be denied that these learners have used social media to further their cause and that this method is one which has been used by social movements and protesters across the country and internationally. As we mentioned last year, the Fees Must Fall movement used social media to organise their protests and to spread information about the situation at the Universities. These same channels were used at Pretoria Girls High, St John’s College, and Pietermaritzburg Girls High School... the list is likely to go on for as long as social media is around.
Provided that the information that is being disseminated by the learners is reasonably believed to be true and for the public benefit, then the issue of discipline or legal action against the young protesters may be difficult to justify.
When young people are trying to protect their rights or are fighting against discrimination, it seems likely that punitive measures would receive a significant backlash from society. This does not mean that they can defame their institutions unfairly and each case will have to be dealt with on its merits.
What is clear is that the “digital immigrants” (that is the older teachers and parents) will have to learn a thing or two about the power of social media from the “digital native” learners to prepare themselves for these situations in future.
Verlie Oosthuizen
Shepstone & Wylie Social Media Law Department