When can a school board collect personal information indirectly?

A collection of personal information from a source other than the student – or the student’s parent or guardian– is called an indirect collection. As with direct collection, the school board must have the legal authority to collect it.

Indirect collections of personal information are permitted in some cases.¹⁴ The most common situation is where the individual consents to the indirect collection (for example, where a parent consents to a school board obtaining a report directly from a psychologist who will be assessing the learning abilities of their elementary-age child).

If a school board wishes to indirectly collect a student's personal information without consent, then one of the other conditions set out in MFIPPA¹⁵ must apply – for example, where another law, such as the Education Act, authorizes the indirect collection.

For more information, see Consent to Collect, Use and Disclose Personal Information.