Google Plans to Disable School Reviews on Google Maps… What’s the Story?

17th April 2025

2 minutes read

Google Plans to Disable School Reviews on Google Maps... What's the Story?

Google recently announced its intention to disable the ability to leave reviews for schools on Google Maps. This decision has surprised many users, particularly parents and students who used these reviews to get an idea about the schools around them. For several years, Google Maps has allowed users to share their experiences by leaving reviews and ratings for various places, including schools. These reviews were useful for those trying to understand a school’s environment, its quality of teaching, its facilities, and even the satisfaction of students and parents.

However, this feature showed some limitations. In fact, it turned out that the reviews left for schools were often subjective, based on personal opinions, and sometimes influenced by isolated experiences. Reviews of schools did not always reflect the full reality of the institution, and could sometimes provide a distorted image of the situation. This led to criticisms regarding the reliability of these reviews, especially when they were written by individuals who were not directly involved in the daily life of the students.

One of the main concerns was that some reviews, whether positive or negative, could be influenced by isolated events or personal judgments that did not represent the true educational climate of the school. For example, an unhappy parent over a specific situation or an ex-student having a bad experience could leave a review that did not reflect the reality experienced by the majority of students and staff.

By disabling this feature, Google aims to prevent the spread of misleading information that could harm the reputation of a school. The company emphasizes that schools are complex institutions that cannot be fairly evaluated based on online reviews, which are often written from limited and unrepresentative viewpoints.

This decision might also be motivated by a desire to protect schools from unjust or malicious criticism. Educational institutions, whether public or private, are already subject to official evaluations carried out by specialized organizations. These evaluations are based on objective criteria and provide a more accurate and comprehensive picture of a school’s quality. This allows parents and students to obtain reliable information, rather than relying on sometimes biased reviews.

Moreover, the management of online reviews raises a broader issue about the impact of digital platforms on the reputation of institutions. While many businesses and organizations use online reviews to promote their services, the case of schools is more delicate. A negative or poorly informed review can have serious consequences by unfairly influencing how parents perceive a school. Therefore, it is crucial to ensure that these reviews are based on objective criteria and verifiable information.

In conclusion, Google’s decision to disable school reviews on Google Maps is part of an effort to ensure more reliable information and protect schools from erroneous judgments. This measure highlights that the evaluation of schools should be based on more precise and objective criteria, rather than subjective impressions.