July 1, 2009
Judge Tom
1

German students go online to rate their teachers

“cool and funny” – “motivated” – “teaches well”

These are a few of the categories on a website in Germany where students can anonymously rank their teachers. A teacher who received an overall grade of D sued in an attempt to shut down the site.  Similar suits have been filed in U.S. courts and, based on the protections provided by the First Amendment, have been dismissed. 

Several courts in Germany recognized the right of students to exchange opinions and communicate freely. In this case, the court rejected the teacher’s claim that her right to privacy had been invaded.

Photo by Mister Teacher (Flickr)

What do you think about rating your teachers online? Does this offend you? If yes, why? Does it trouble you that it’s anonymous or should you be required to own your comments by stating your name?

Judge Tom

The Author Judge Tom

Judge Tom is the founder and moderator of AsktheJudge.info. He is a retired juvenile judge and spent 23 years on the bench. He has written several books for lawyers and judges as well as teens and parents including 'Teen Cyberbullying Investigated' (Free Spirit Publishing) and 'Every Vote Matters: the Power of Your Voice, from Student Elections to the Supreme Court' (Free Spirit Publishing). In 2020, the American Bar Association published "Cyberbullying Law," the nation's first case-law book written for lawyers, judges and law students. When he's not answering teens' questions, Judge Tom volunteers with the American Red Cross and can be found hiking, traveling and reading.

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1 Comment

  • me
    November 9, 2009 4:42 pm count( 0 )

    i do that too and i’m american. Big whoop. Freedom of speech. Just like on a blog.