Having given the matter a great deal of thought, I have made the decision to remove all accounts associated with our School from X (which I will refer to going forward by its more familiar name - Twitter).
Our school is based on a commitment to maintaining an inclusive and safe environment for our pupils, staff, and the wider community, and this includes in our online spaces. Twitter, like many social media platforms, has faced ongoing challenges in moderating content and ensuring that users are not exposed to harmful or offensive material; however, since Elon Musk’s take over, along with his restoration of thousands of accounts that were previously banned for violations of community guidelines surrounding hate speech, it has been increasingly difficult to justify our continued presence on the platform.
While individuals have the right to express their opinions freely, our School believes it is essential to prioritise a safe and respectful online environment for our community members. Indeed, according to Article 17 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, we have a duty to ensure that the information the pupils in our care are accessing is not harmful.
Elon Musk's stance on free speech, which includes a willingness to allow potentially harmful or offensive content to remain on the platform, and his support of Russell Brand following allegations of serious sexual misconduct have led us to re-evaluate our use of Twitter as a communication tool. We understand that free speech is a vital aspect of a democratic society, but it must be balanced with responsible content moderation to ensure that our pupils and staff are not exposed to harassment, hate speech, or misinformation.
At St Columba’s, we encourage our pupils not to be bystanders but upstanders – people who stand up and speak out against intolerance, injustice, and hate. We cannot expect our young people to live up to these standards if we are not willing to lead by example.
In light of these considerations, we have chosen to discontinue our School's presence on Twitter and prioritise the safety and well-being of our community members and, as such, we will be deleting our accounts over the coming days. Our primary goal remains providing a positive and secure educational environment, both in-person and online, where students can learn, engage in critical thinking, and develop into responsible digital citizens.