Greek educator warns of online parent groups interfering in schools

Tílemaxos Kountouris, President of the Panhellenic Scientific Association of Primary School Directors, has raised concerns regarding the role of online parent groups in school daily life. While these digital platforms were designed to facilitate communication and information sharing, they risk becoming mechanisms for pressure and interference in school operations.

Kountouris warns that classroom incidents, pedagogical decisions, or misunderstandings are often shared instantly within large groups of parents, sometimes without full context or all facts being known. This can create an ‘informal online court’ where educators and school decisions are subjected to public criticism outside of established institutional procedures.

Such dynamics can negatively impact educators, causing them to act more cautiously, which may hinder the freedom and trust required for effective teaching. The goal is not to exclude parents from school life, but to maintain clear boundaries between constructive cooperation and improper intervention, emphasizing the need for substantive dialogue between families and school administration.