My children’s school provides Classlist, which is official, secure and organised. Yet every September I still end up in WhatsApp groups, which are open to privacy concerns and commonly used despite being unofficial.
I understand the appeal. WhatsApp is an app almost everyone has, uses daily and finds easy to navigate. It’s the path of least resistance for staying in touch with other parents.
Yet this convenience comes at a cost that not all parents are willing to pay. Some have genuine concerns about WhatsApp’s privacy practices and data collection; they prefer more privacy-friendly messaging apps such as Signal.
Below is a diagram that positions all three applications in terms of convenience and privacy. While not scientifically measured, I believe this representation reflects the general trade-offs between these apps.
I’ve placed WhatsApp slightly higher than Signal on convenience, not because of functionality, as Signal rivals WhatsApp’s user experience, but because of its widespread use. Classlist is less easy to use, so I’ve positioned it behind both. On privacy, WhatsApp and Signal sit at opposite ends of the spectrum. Classlist is designed to help schools comply with GDPR and protect personal data. GDPR (the General Data Protection Regulation) governs how personal data must be handled in the UK and EU. However, actual GDPR compliance depends on how the platform is set up and used. Classlist is also less transparent than Signal.
If parent groups use different messaging apps, not everyone will be in the same unofficial group. This is less convenient. However, to understand whether this matters, we need to look at why these messaging groups are created in the first place.
There are, I think, two main uses for these parent groups: class representatives sharing messages from the teacher or school, and parents asking other parents about homework, lost cardigans, etc.
Firstly, the class representative must reach as many parents as possible. Their main communication tool should be Classlist, as it is the official app provided by the school for exactly this purpose.
They could also post to WhatsApp or Signal, but they should remember that not everyone will be in those groups. Parents should not feel compelled to join another app simply because they fear missing important information. If a discussion follows outside Classlist, the class representative can summarise key points and share them back via Classlist.
Secondly, for parent-to-parent communication, parents should be free to choose which app to use. When a parent has a question about homework or lost items, they ideally want to reach enough other parents to get an answer. Not every message requires reaching the whole class; a smaller group may suffice. In such situations, separate parent groups organised by preferred messaging app will likely function adequately.
Many parents default to using WhatsApp for its convenience and widespread adoption. However, some parents have expressed concerns about WhatsApp’s data privacy practices and prefer messaging apps such as Signal, known for enhanced privacy features. Parents should not expect others to compromise their values. Since parents prioritise different values in the convenience-privacy trade-off, there will never be a single unofficial group containing all parents.
In other words, while Classlist may be less widely used or perceived as less convenient, it ensures official communications reach all parents securely. It is also the most inclusive way of contacting all parents.
While I acknowledge this balanced approach, I have a strong preference for Signal, a much more privacy-friendly messaging app, when using unofficial channels. However, it is challenging to raise awareness.
From the above, I see this as the recommended order for how a parent community can communicate effectively and inclusively:
- Use the official school messaging app (Classlist) to reach, or involve, all parents, especially for important or official communication from school or the teacher.
- Use other messaging apps for quick, informal chats with other parents.
- Prioritize privacy for yourself and your children by using Signal
- Stay up to date with Classlist communications, it’s your most reliable way to stay fully informed and connected with the whole parent community.
For further reading I recommend:
- The Legal Risks of Parent WhatsApp Groups - To better understand why apps like Classlist exist.