The warning by PDM member of parliament Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo could not have come at a more crucial time. Her call for greater scrutiny of how some teachers are using learners to create social media content must serve as a national wake-up call. Namibia is fast catching up with the global trend where schools, classrooms, and even children’s private moments are turned into digital entertainment, often without consent, without understanding the consequences, and without any protection for the minors involved.
What was once a space for learning and mentorship, the classroom, is now becoming a stage for online fame. Teachers who should be role models are sometimes transforming their learners into props for viral videos, TikTok dances, or motivational reels. It may look harmless on the surface – a fun video, a trending challenge, a moment of laughter. But beneath the filters and hashtags lies a troubling erosion of ethics, privacy, and child protection.
We live in an age where the smartphone is more powerful than the chalkboard. Teachers now compete for social media validation as much as they do for academic recognition. But the moment a teacher points a camera at a learner and uploads that video online, the relationship between educator and pupil changes.
Teachers hold authority and trust. When they use that authority to film a child for online engagement, that trust is compromised, especially when consent is neither informed nor freely given. A child may smile on camera because the teacher asked them to, not because they truly agreed. What happens when those images go viral, are shared beyond control, or are mocked and remixed in ways the child cannot escape?
It is not just about embarrassment; it is about digital safety, dignity, and long-term consequences. A child who is filmed and uploaded today could have their video resurface years later. A moment meant to be funny can turn into lifelong ridicule.
Lessons from other countries
Namibia is not alone in this phenomenon. Across the world, societies are now grappling with the dark side of social media in education.
In the United States, several teachers have been suspended or dismissed after posting classroom videos of children without parental consent. One case in Georgia saw a teacher lose her job after recording students’ emotional reactions during a disciplinary session; the video garnered millions of views, but the backlash was immense, leading to investigations and emotional harm to the students involved.
In South Africa, the Department of Basic Education has repeatedly warned teachers against filming pupils for TikTok content. In 2023, a viral video of a Cape Town teacher dancing provocatively with learners led to public outrage and disciplinary action. The department reminded educators that “schools are not stages” and that such acts violate the South African Schools Act and child protection laws.
In Kenya, the Teachers Service Commission (TSC) recently issued a circular warning teachers against “unauthorised online engagements involving learners”, after several cases of students’ images being used in promotional or entertainment videos without consent.
These cases point to a global pattern: where boundaries between professional responsibility and personal social media clout are being dangerously blurred. Namibia must not wait for its own scandal to act.
Social media fame vs. professional ethics
At the heart of this issue is a clash between modern culture and moral duty. Social media rewards instant fame — likes, followers, shares — and teachers, like everyone else, are not immune to that temptation. But teaching is not a popularity contest; it is a vocation of trust and responsibility.
A teacher who uses a student’s image or voice for online content is not just being unprofessional—they are violating the sanctity of education. The classroom must be a safe space where learners feel respected and free from exploitation, not one where they risk becoming the next trending clip.
Furthermore, many of these videos inadvertently expose school identities, uniforms, names, and locations, putting children at risk of cyberbullying, grooming, or identity theft. The digital world does not forget, and predators are watching.
Namibia currently lacks a specific legal framework governing social media conduct in schools. The Child Care and Protection Act offers general protection against exploitation, but the digital age requires sharper tools. Teachers who misuse learners’ images or videos should face disciplinary consequences under the Education Act, with clear codes of conduct defining digital boundaries.
Schools must also introduce social media policies, both for teachers and students, outlining what can and cannot be shared online. The Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture must urgently collaborate with the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology to establish digital safety guidelines that address this emerging threat.
Parents, too, must play a role. They must educate themselves about their children’s online exposure and assert their right to say no when schools or teachers post images of minors. Consent must be explicit, informed, and respected.
The issue goes beyond rules; it’s about values. When teachers reduce their students to content, they send a message that fame outweighs integrity, that exposure is more important than education. What happens to the spirit of mentorship, compassion, and discretion that once defined great educators?
In a society already struggling with youth mental health, cyberbullying, and online exploitation, this reckless trend risks deepening the damage. The children we are supposed to protect are being turned into unknowing performers in a digital circus they neither control nor understand.
The way forward
Namibia cannot remain passive. It is time for:
- Clear regulations on social media use by educators;
- Mandatory digital ethics training for teachers;
- Stronger enforcement of child protection in online spaces; and
- National awareness campaigns on the risks of children’s digital exposure.
The Windhoek Observer joins Rosa Mbinge-Tjeundo in calling for a national conversation, not to shame teachers, but to protect learners. Education is sacred work, not a content creation opportunity.
Let us be clear: children are not props for social media. Their faces, their emotions, and their private moments belong in classrooms of safety, not in the ruthless, permanent theatre of the internet.
If we do not act now, we risk raising a generation of children who grow up knowing they were entertainment before they were protected.
