Educators in plea to keep using YouTube after social media ban for teens comes in

Schools say YouTube is an ‘important resource to complement learning’ and should be exempted from the ban on ­social media platforms.

Schools say YouTube is an ­“important resource to complement learning” and should be exempted from the ban on ­social media platforms.

The main YouTube channel is seen as a great tool for children who are ill or absent from the classroom and a cost-effective alternative to tutors.

Data shows 84 per cent of Australian teachers surveyed said they used YouTube on at least a monthly basis to help their students, according to an Ipsos study.

Under-16s will be banned from creating social media accounts as of the end of the year.YouTube was initially exempted but the eSafety Commissioner Julie Inman Grant has called for it to be included in the ban.

However, Australian Principals Federation president Tina King said YouTube “can be used for inspiration, motivation and as supplementary content during lessons”.

Girl Geek Academy founder Sarah Moran. Picture: Supplied

“These resources are instructional and complementary to learning by providing important visuals.”

Having grown up in Lismore, co-founder of STEM education social enterprise Girl Geek Academy Sarah Moran knows how important it is for students in regional areas to “access education from outside where you live, to complement what you learn in the classroom”.

Her organisation runs educational programs for schoolgirls across a range of tech industries including artificial intelligence, computer programming and game development, and uses YouTube to host the video tutorials.

“You can extend yourself and your learning at your own pace … without the pressure on the individual teachers at your specific school having to have every skill required for every kid,” she said.

“For tech that’s crucial: there’s a lack of tech teachers, a lack of women tech teachers, and a lack of both in the regions.”

Pedare Christian College students competing in a VEX IQ robotics competition, commentated by their teacher Emil Zankov. Picture: Supplied

Design and Technology teacher Emil Zankov runs a robotics engineering club at Pedare Christian College in Adelaide, and said it’s been “really exciting as an educator” to see students using YouTube to learn from their peers in the other countries competing in the VEX Robotics tournament.

“It’s really about students celebrating their own learning, their own journey, showcasing what they’re doing, but in turn – inadvertently – educating the next group of students,” he said. “I lean into that a lot as a teacher, because it’s one thing to say: ‘Here’s a resource by another adult to watch’, but it’s really something else when you go: ‘Hey, have you seen what this team in San Antonio has worked on’?”

Mr Zankov said it allowed kids in remote schools to connect with metropolitan peers.

Head of YouTube Australia Ed Miles said learning on YouTube was for “everyone, everywhere”, providing a platform for “educators to reach wider audiences and share their expertise in engaging ways”.

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Originally published as Educators in plea to keep using YouTube after social media ban for teens comes in