Protecting your child’s information at school
Schools collect and hold a great deal of personal information about children and their families and caregivers. This can include attendance records, grades, Individual Education Plans (IEPs), medical information, psychological assessments, behaviour reports, and correspondence with caregivers.
For disabled children, some of these records contain deeply personal information about their health, development, behaviour and family circumstances.
Families and caregivers often share this information because they want schools to understand their children and provide appropriate support. Sometimes, they are asked to provide more information than they are comfortable sharing.
Your child has a right to privacy and a right to meaningful access to education. These rights should work together, not against each other.
This resource explains how to share information thoughtfully, understand your rights, and respond when information is lost, stolen or disclosed without authorisation.
Explore these resources
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What information should I share with my child’s school?
Schools need information about your child’s disability-related needs to provide appropriate accommodations and educational support. But that doesn’t necessarily mean they need access to your child’s entire medical, developmental, or family history. The goal is to share enough information to help the school understand and accommodate your child, without unnecessarily disclosing sensitive personal information. What…
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What are my family’s privacy rights at school?
BC public schools collect and hold personal information about students and their families, including educational records, assessments, medical information and correspondence. Under BC’s Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FIPPA), school districts must have legal authority to collect, use and disclose personal information, and must take reasonable steps to protect it. You have…
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What should I do if my child’s personal information has been exposed in a privacy breach?
Schools collect a great deal of sensitive information about children and their families, including educational assessments, disability-related information, medical needs, family circumstances and records of bullying or other incidents. If this information is lost, stolen, accessed without authorisation or shared with the wrong person, it may be a privacy breach. Learning that your child’s information…
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How often must an IEP be reviewed? Can I request changes now?
The Order requires a review in every school year after the year an IEP is developed, with revision or cancellation where necessary. That minimum does not mean families can raise concerns only once a year. The school has a duty to meaningfully consult with you and have you be involved in the creation of your…
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How do I know which accommodations to ask for? Do we have to wait for an assessment?
You can ask your disabled child to be supported without having all the answers. Share whatever documentation you have about your child’s disability or suspected disability and steps you are taking to get a diagnosis. Describe when the barriers, including what makes it better or worse, and what your child says would help. Ask the…
