Péruwelz Schools Exit Social Media Over Student Image Rights

All communal schools in the Belgian municipality of Péruwelz will withdraw from social media platforms at the end of the 2025-2026 school year, in a decision driven by concerns over student image rights and the desire to avoid online controversies. The move, announced on June 26, marks a significant local step in the growing debate over social media’s role in education.

Background and Decision

The decision was taken at the initiative of Mayor Jimmy Ababio, in consultation with school directors, according to RTBF. The municipality stated that social media tools “do not meet the requirements regarding respect for the right to image” of students. notélé further reported that the choice also reflects “the desire to avoid controversies that can arise on social media.”

Under Belgian law, every individual — including minors — has the right to control the use of their image. Publishing photos of children requires explicit consent from parents or legal guardians, and schools bear particular responsibility under both image rights law and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

New Communication Tools

Rather than relying on social media, Péruwelz’s schools will transition to a dedicated secure application called “Toute Mon Année,” which will allow for personalized monitoring of class life. The official municipal website (www.peruwelz.be) will continue to serve as the central hub for general information, while the traditional class journal (journal de classe) will remain the primary communication channel between schools and families.

The City of Péruwelz explained that this evolution is part of a broader effort to “strengthen data security, improve the readability of information, and prioritize communication more centered on the needs of students and their parents.”

The Mayor’s Unique Perspective

Mayor Jimmy Ababio, who took office in 2025 after his predecessor Benjamin Delaunoit resigned, brings a distinctive perspective to the decision. A teacher of geography at a haute école (university college), Ababio is both the municipality’s chief executive and an educator. As DHnet reported, he has insisted that there is “more to life than politics” and has maintained his teaching role alongside his mayoral duties. Ababio attended École communale de La Roë as a child, giving him a personal connection to the municipality’s school system.

Broader Context

The Péruwelz decision does not exist in isolation. It follows the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles’ 2025 ban on recreational smartphone use in schools across Wallonia and Brussels. While that measure targeted student device usage, Péruwelz is going further by eliminating the institutional presence of schools on social media entirely.

Belgian politicians and health officials, including Minister of Health Yves Coppieters, have raised concerns about the impact of social media on young people’s mental health, citing “a rise in psychological suffering among young people, linked notably to toxic relational dynamics amplified by social media.” At the international level, France has been pursuing accelerated legislation to ban social media for minors under 15, reflecting a broader European trend toward stricter regulation.

Analysis and Implications

The Péruwelz decision appears driven by three interconnected concerns: legal compliance with student image rights and GDPR, child protection from potential harms of social media exposure, and risk management to avoid controversies arising from school-related social media posts.

This local-level policy could serve as a model for other municipalities in Belgium and beyond. While the regional education authority has addressed smartphone use by students, Péruwelz has taken the additional step of addressing the schools’ own social media presence — a distinction that may resonate with other school systems grappling with similar questions.

What’s Next

The withdrawal takes effect at the end of the current school year, meaning the new communication tools will be in place for the start of the 2026-2027 school year in September. Key questions remain: Will other municipalities in Hainaut or across Wallonia follow Péruwelz’s lead? How will parents and students adapt to the transition away from social media? And how will the “Toute Mon Année” application compare to social media platforms in terms of functionality and user experience?

For now, Péruwelz has positioned itself at the forefront of a growing movement to reconsider the place of social media in education — starting with the schools themselves.