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Data watchdog bids to aid compliance in schools

The data-protection watchdog has produced a guide to help schools to meet their obligations when processing the personal data of children. 

The Data Protection Commission (DPC) said that, as part of its engagement with the education sector, it had identified several areas linked to data-protection compliance that posed difficulties for schools. 

It has now published a Data Protection Toolkit for Schools after consulting organisations in the education sector.

‘First step’ 

The toolkit includes:

• Detailed guidance on different aspects of data-protection law in the specific context of schools,
• An FAQ (frequently asked questions) section containing answers to questions commonly received by the DPC from the education sector, and
• An appendix containing helpful resources for schools – including a sample template for data-protection impact assessments (DPIAs), what information to include in a privacy policy, and a checklist on how to respond to a subject-access request (SAR). 

The DPC is inviting feedback on the publication from data controllers in the education sector until 31 January. 

Commissioners for Data Protection Dr Des Hogan and Dale Sunderland said that the commission acknowledged the challenges faced by schools, and was committed to helping them to comply with their data-protection obligations. 

“This toolkit is the first step in helping schools to raise the standards of data protection afforded to children and DPC intends to continue its engagement with the sector in the coming months and years,” they concluded.