As the website is available to the public, the school had to make sure that they protected the personal information of all students of the school. Often, the bulletin listed names of students that had personal messages or were required to meet a teacher. The school could not publish these names on the e-bulletin that was put on the school’s main web site according to the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act made in 1992, and amended most recently in 2007:
(30) A public body must protect personal information in its custody or under its control by making reasonable security arrangements against such risks as unauthorized access, collection, use, disclosure or disposal.
(30.4) An employee, officer or director of a public body or an employee or associate of a service provider who has access, whether authorized or unauthorized, to personal information in the custody or control of a public body, must not disclose that information except as authorized under this Act.
(32b) A public body must ensure that personal information in its custody or under its control is used only if the individual the information is about has identified the information and has consented, in the prescribed manner, to the use.
As teachers and school administrators are agents of the state, they must therefore be very careful to protect the personal information of students and families with whom they work. Information in report cards, student and personnel records, student pictures and website information must all be handled in a secure manner to protect the privacy and security of all who are connected to the school. (Young, Levine, & Wallin, 2007)
To comply with the Protection of Privacy Act, a decision was made to announce students’ names over the intercom during the regular announcement time so that no names were printed.
The change from paper to e-bulletin went smoothly as teachers were well informed of the transition. I was given the opportunity to read the bulletin in the homeroom of my mentor teacher. I found that when I was reading the announcements from the computer, I was separated from the class by desks and the computer, and could not see the class from where I was sitting. It was hard to engage the class to see if they were listening, or to see if they needed further clarification on any of the announcements.
One way around this would be to have a student read the announcements, so the teacher can watch the students to see if they need any more clarification. As an observer, I did not know the students personally, and so did not know if any of the students were involved specifically with the events being announced.
The decision to use less paper resulted in a decision that had to comply with legislation that concerned the privacy of student’s personal information. As the use of technology changes and internet use increases in the school system, the protection of privacy will be a continuing issue that schools will have to accommodate in every day decision making. In this case in Esquimalt Secondary School, the staff were able to make a easy transition that upheld the ethical considerations involved.
References:
B.C. Government (1996). Freedom of information and protection of privacy act. Retrieved November 13, 2008, from http://www.qp.gov.bc.ca/statreg/stat/f/96165_03.htm
Young, J., Levin, & B., Wallin, D., (2007). Understanding Canadian Schools: An introduction to educational administration (4th ed.). Canada: Nelson
