Politics · Canada · 1 day ago
Manitoba bans private messaging between teachers and students
Manitoba has ordered a ban on private messages between school staff and students.
The rule covers texting, personal social media accounts and private messaging apps, including contact outside school hours.
Staff must use school-approved, monitored platforms for digital communication with students.
The change follows recent disciplinary cases involving inappropriate messages between educators and students.
The government says the rules are meant to protect students and make professional boundaries clearer.
Exceptions may be considered in special circumstances, but school administrators must approve them in advance.
School boards must submit updated policies by the end of the year, while the education minister expects the ban to be enforced immediately.
Manitoba has ordered publicly funded school divisions to ban private digital communication between school employees and students.
The directive prohibits texting and contact through personal social media accounts, private messaging apps and social media messaging features.
Education Minister Tracy Schmidt said the move is intended to protect students and clarify professional boundaries.
The directive follows disciplinary cases involving educators’ inappropriate communications with students.
School boards must submit updated policies by the end of 2026, though the minister expects the ban to be enforced immediately.
- Who
- Manitoba’s Education Minister Tracy Schmidt issued the directive to school divisions.
- What
- School employees are prohibited from privately messaging students through texting, personal social media and other unauthorized platforms.
- When
- Friday, Oct. 23, 2026. Updated policies are due by the end of the calendar year.
- Where
- Manitoba.
- Why
- The government said the directive is intended to protect students and address inappropriate communications and concerns about professional boundaries.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
The teacher commissioner published rulings terminating the certificates of two former educators for inappropriate communication with students, according to CBC.
Education Minister Tracy Schmidt issued a directive requiring school divisions to update their digital communication policies.
Governing boards must submit updated rules addressing the directive.
- Directive date
- Oct. 23, 2026
- Policy deadline
- End of the calendar year
- Permitted communication
- School- and division-sanctioned internal platforms
- Minister
- Tracy Schmidt
- Commissioner
- Noni Classen
3 sources
What people are saying
There is never a reason for those communications to be happening in private.
We believe this is one very important step we can take as a government to both protect students, [and] provide greater clarity and professional regulation for teachers in the profession
This will give a chance for kids not to have to manage this space as it relates to communication with their teachers
We are pleased to see the government taking steps in this direction.