Collection of Personal Information by a School or a School Board

FAQ #1 Revised November 2012 Collection of Personal Information by a School or a School Board Q. The school regularly telephones or sends home forms asking for information. Some of the questions relate to matters that I consider to be personal and private information. I ve wondered why they need this information and if I am required to give it to them. What are the rules about collecting information about my children and, in some cases, other members of our family? The Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act sets out how and under what circumstances personal information may be collected about you, your child and your family. By definition, personal information is recorded information about an identifiable individual, including information relating to race, national or ethnic origin, colour, religion, age, sex, sexual orientation, marital or family status, education, medical history, psychiatric, psychological, or criminal history, employment history; any identifying number or symbol, address, telephone number, fingerprints, blood type; personal opinions except if they relate to another individual; and name if it appears with other personal information or where it would reveal other personal information. In order for a school (principal, vice-principal, teacher, secretary, or any other school or board employee) to collect personal information, it must meet the following standard: 1. the collection of the information must be expressly authorized by a statute; 2. the information is used for the purposes of law enforcement; or 3. the collection is necessary to the proper administration of a lawfully authorized activity; in the case of a school, this would be the proper administration of education. This standard can be considered the authority for the school to collect personal information. Once the school has the authority to collect personal information, there are standards for the way it is collected. Particularly: in most cases, the information must be collected directly from the individual (you, or your child, if the child is old enough); and you must be given notice of the collection of the information. The notice must contain the following information: the authority for the collection; the primary purpose or purposes for which the information will be

used; and the title, business address and business tele phone number of a person who can answer questions about the collection. Despite the authority and the standards, there are a limited number of specific circumstances where these standards for collection of personal information do not apply. Consider the following example where personal information is collected and how the authority and the standards for collection apply. When you register your child in school, you will be asked to provide the following information: name of child, address, telephone number, date of birth, language, citizenship information, and immigration status (if applicable); parent/guardian information including name, address, telephone, language for correspondence, and health card number; last Ontario school and board attended; other information regarding health, transportation, custody, etc. The first question to ask is, Does the school board have the authority to collect this information? The simple answer is, Yes. This is because section 58.5 of the Education Act enables your school board to operate its business and to deliver a wide range of programs and services to students. Section 265 requires the principal to register students and to maintain pupil records according to Ministry requirements. The next question to ask is, Is the information being collected properly? Properly in this instance means: (a) that it is being collected directly from an adult student (adult in the Education Act is defined as 18 years of age or older), or directly from the parent or guardian of a student who is not an adult; and, (b) that the adult student, parent or guardian is given the required notice about the collection (e.g., authority, primary purpose for which the personal information will be used, and a contact person). All of this information will be put into what is known as a collection notice. It is usually printed on the form used to collect the information; but it can also be included in student handbooks or agendas or posted on the school board s website. For an example, we have included the Simcoe County District School Board s collection notice: Notification of the Collection and Use of Student Personal Information The purpose of this communication is to notify you of how the Simcoe County District School Board and your school use the personal information you provide to us in accordance with the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). The MFIPPA is a law that sets guidelines that schools and district school boards must follow when collecting, using and/or and disclosing students personal information. Under this Act, personal information refers to recorded information about an identifiable individual. The Education Act sets out duties and powers of the Board and authorizes school boards to collect personal information for the purpose of planning and delivering educational programs and services which best meet students needs and for reporting to the Minister of Education as required. This Act requires that the school principal maintain an Ontario Student Record (OSR) for each student attending the school. The OSR is a record of a student s educational progress through school in Ontario and follows students when they transfer schools. The Ontario Student Record Guideline sets out how the record is to be managed. The Simcoe County District School Board adheres to this OSR guideline.

Under the MFIPPA, personal information may be used or disclosed by the Simcoe County District School Board: for the purpose for which it was obtained or a consistent purpose (a purpose consistent for the reason collected); to Board officers or employees who need access to the information in the performance of their duties if necessary and proper in the discharge of the Board s authorized functions; to comply with legislation, a court order or subpoena or to aid in a law enforcement investigation conducted by a law enforcement agency; and, in compelling circumstances affecting health or safety (providing notice of the disclosure is sent to the student s home). Prior to releasing confidential information for any other purpose, the school will seek informed consent from the parent/guardian for children under 16 years of age, from the parent/guardian and the student where the student is 16 and 17, and from the student where the student is over 18 or the student is 16 or 17 years of age and has withdrawn from parental control, in accordance with both MFIPPA and the Education Act. It is our practice to include a notice statement on forms used to collect personal information to advise you how we will use and disclose the information. To help you understand how we use the information you provide to us, we draw your attention to the following routine uses and/or disclosures of student personal information so that you may express any concerns you may have regarding the release and sharing of the information: Routine Uses and/or Disclosures of Student Personal Information The student s OSR will be used by school and board staff to support the classroom teacher and designated early childhood educators in developing an educational program which best meets the student s needs. Staff working with the classroom teacher or directly with the student may include individuals working in areas such as Special Education, guidance counselling, student success, etc. In keeping with the requirements of the Education Act and the Personal Health Information Protection Act, informed consent will be sought prior to conducting intelligence or behavioural tests, or prior to the involvement of Psychological, Speech and Language or Social Worker staff. Secondary schools will receive information about registered Grade 8 students in advance of the student attending the secondary school to help establish an appropriate program for the student. The secondary school will share information about each student s progress through secondary school with the student s previous elementary school to support continuous improvement of the elementary school program for all students. Student home addresses may be released to the Simcoe County Student Transportation Consortium and the contracted bus company responsible for transporting students to and from school in order to administer the Board s contracted bus program. School activities may be reported in school and Board newsletters, and on school and Board websites. Individual students will only be photographed and identified with appropriate consents. The media, such as newspapers, television and radio, may be invited to the school for the purpose of reporting on newsworthy events or activities such as graduations, student achievements/awards, and current events. Their reports may include non-

identifying photos of groups of students. Individual students would only be photographed or identified with appropriate consent. Students participating in extra-curricular activities or events where the public is invited, i.e. field trips, school concerts, school teams, may be photographed and/or reported on by media or the general public. Students may be recorded or photographed by their classroom teacher in school or during school activities as part of their educational program. Photos may be shared with the class and parents as appropriate. Students may participate in video conferencing (a technology which allows for two or more locations to interact via simultaneous two-way video and audio transmissions) to support the classroom program. Conferences may be organized with students in other SCDSB schools, students in other countries and or as virtual field trips. Phone numbers will be used on telephone lists. Examples include: emergency contact lists to facilitate contact with parents during emergencies (e.g. inclement weather); safe arrival programs, which may be staffed by parent volunteers, to contact parents where a student is absent and the parent/guardian has not notified the school of the absence; volunteers, authorized by the Principal, to contact parents regarding school-related activities which benefit the student and the school community and require parent involvement. Parents/guardians/adult students are asked to complete Student Medical/Health Data forms for the purpose of developing a medical emergency plan for the student or Administration of Medication in School forms for the purpose of administering medication to the student. Medical emergency plans may also be provided to the Simcoe County Transportation Consortium and/or contracted bus operators to aid in a medical emergency. In compliance with the Personal Health Information Protection Act, student health numbers (OHIP) will not be collected; however parents/guardians/ students may be invited to volunteer such information for students going on field trips to facilitate medical services if needed. Student work, including student names, may be displayed in the classroom or in school hallways, or may be shared with the public through science fairs, school and board newsletters, writing/colouring/ poster contests, community events, fairs, and similar events/locations outside the school setting. Student accidents that take place during school or on school-sponsored activities will be reported to the SCDSB insurer. Reports include the name of the injured student(s) and details about the incident as well as the name and contact information of witnesses to the accident. Birthday congratulations may be announced over the PA system and/or in the classrooms. Class lists with student first names and last initial only may be distributed to other parents for the purpose of addressing greeting cards or invitations in connection with holidays, birthday parties, etc. Surveillance equipment may be used in schools and on buses to enhance the safety of students and staff, to protect property against theft or vandalism, and to aid in the identification of intruders and of persons who endanger the health, wellbeing or safety of school community members. Student names and/or photographs may be printed in school programs (e.g. commencement or graduation programs, school plays and musical

productions, student awards, academic and athletic awards and plaques, school brochures, honour roll and classroom assignment during school and semester start up) and in school yearbooks. Questions regarding the information contained in this notification may be addressed to the School Principal or the Freedom of Information/Records Management Officer, 1170 Highway 26, Midhurst, ON LOL 1X0, (705) 734-6363 ext. 11265. Please communicate any concerns you have with regards to the sharing of personal information in any or all of the above-mentioned by contacting the school principal as soon as possible. The above will apply unless an objection is filed with the Principal and an alternative resolution can be found. is published by the Toronto District School Board and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario. If you have any comments regarding this publication, contact: 30% recycled paper Senior Administrative Services Toronto District School Board 155 College Street Toronto, Ontario M5T 1P6 Telephone: 416-397-3288 Facsimile: 416-393-9969 Website: www.tdsb.on.ca Communications Department Information and Privacy Commissioner Ontario, Canada 2 Bloor Street East, Suite 1400 Toronto, Ontario M4W 1A8 Canada Telephone: 416-326-3333 1-800-387-0073 Facsimile: 416-325-9195 TTY (Teletypewriter): 416-325-7539 Website: www.ipc.on.ca