How to stop making everyone hate you on Aula

Parents and teachers can reduce conflict on Aula by agreeing on clear rules for messages, response times and what belongs in shared forums, DR reports. The advice comes as debate over the digital communication platform has resurfaced.

The Moderates have proposed abolishing Aula, calling it a “growth” in family life that damages relationships between parents and teachers. Regitze Spenner Ishøy, national chair of the association School and Parents, said she believed the connection was overstated.

“If we set the right framework and have clear expectations of one another, we can actually make Aula work,” she said.

Use “reply all” sparingly

Parents and staff should think carefully before using the “reply all” function, according to the article’s sources.

Parents should not, for example, ask every family to search for a child’s lost Pokémon cards in the after-school care programme, said Signe Nielsen, director of Fola, the National Parents’ Organisation. Fola represents parents using childcare services such as kindergartens, where Aula is also used.

Many messages and replies can be handled privately rather than in a shared comment thread, Nielsen said. Individual messages should be sent individually, otherwise people may stop reading them or taking them seriously.

Agree on the rules early

Teachers and parents should discuss how to use Aula at the first parent meeting of the school year, Spenner Ishøy said.

They should agree on what is relevant to share with everyone, how the platform should be used, what belongs in posts and what belongs in messages, and where the weekly plan can be found.

The responsibility for using Aula properly goes both ways, she said.

Check the school’s guidelines

Parents should check whether their school board has set principles for using Aula, or ask for them if no guidelines are available.

This helps parents understand the framework in which teachers work and makes it easier for them to act as constructive partners, Spenner Ishøy said.

Agree on response times

Schools and parents should clearly agree when parents can expect a response from teachers. They should also discuss whether parents are expected to check Aula every day.

Consider calling instead

For childcare services, Nielsen recommended considering a phone call when a message is difficult or sensitive.

Written communication can be very difficult, she said. Staff may be strong in personal relationships without necessarily being equally strong at written communication.

It remains unclear what would replace Aula if the platform were removed, social affairs minister Monika Rubin of the Moderates said. In principle, she said, the replacement could also be an app.