- A Guide to Privacy and Access to Information in Ontario Schools
- Introduction
- Ontario’s Access and Privacy Legislation
- Collecting personal information
- Using and disclosing personal information
- Consent to collect, use and disclose personal information
- Safeguarding and retaining information
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Access to information
- How do students and parents access personal information?
- Do individuals have a right to access general records from a school board?
- Do students need to reach a certain age before they can exercise their access rights?
- How does a child’s age affect the parent’s right of access to personal information?
- Do non-custodial parents have a right to access a child’s school records?
- Correction of Personal Information
- Special Topics
- Back to Information for Individuals
Can students and parents request correction of inaccurate records?
If students or parents believe that personal information in a student’s records is inaccurate, they have a right to request correction under both MFIPPA and the Education Act. |
Yes. If students or parents believe that personal information in a student’s records is inaccurate, they have a right to request correction under both MFIPPA and the Education Act.
Under the Education Act, the parent or guardian of a student may make a request to the principal to correct the personal information contained in their child’s OSR where they believe the information is inaccurate. Where the student is 18 or older, they may make this request directly.81
Only matters of fact, not opinion, may be corrected. If the principal refuses to correct the record, the requester may be referred to a supervisory officer of the school board. Ultimately, the student, parent or guardian may request a hearing before a designate of the Ministry of Education.
MFIPPA gives individuals the right to request correction of their personal information records.82 Individuals of any age may make the request, and parents or guardians of children under 16 can request on the child’s behalf.83 If the school board denies the request, the individual can appeal to the IPC.84 The IPC may order the school board to correct the information or attach a statement of disagreement to the information. Only matters of fact, not opinion, may be corrected.