Access and Privacy 101 - Tips for Teachers

With the new school year on the horizon, the IPC is educating the educators about their obligations when handling students’ confidential information.

School boards, educators, and administrators in Ontario’s public and separate school system are responsible for making sure their students’ personal information is secure and protected at all times. To help manage this responsibility, the IPC has released a series of resources to raise awareness about access and privacy within the education sector.

A Guide to Privacy and Access to Information in Ontario Schools provides a comprehensive explanation of the privacy rules that school boards, principals, teachers, and administrators must follow under Ontario’s municipal access and privacy law.

A series of handy fact sheets give an overview of popular subjects and frequently asked questions.  Protecting Your Students’ Privacy Online, Privacy in the School, and the more detailed, Privacy and Access to Information in Ontario’s schools: A Guide for Educators, explains the steps that educators can take to protect student privacy. Your Child’s Privacy in School was produced with parents in mind to explain how their children’s personal information is collected, used, and disclosed, and what to do if they think personal information was handled improperly.

We are here to help. IPC staff are available for Professional Activity days to discuss Ontario’s information and privacy laws with educators and staff. For more information, or to request hard copies of the guides and brochures, email @email.