Understand your responsibilities. Plot your actions.
Schools process more sensitive personal data than most other kinds of organisations. With data on parents, teachers and children in particular, schools should be focusing their attentions on complying with modern data protection laws, like the General Data Protection Regulation (or GDPR) in the EU, or the Protection of Personal Information Act (or POPIA) in South Africa. Whatever your jurisdiction, you need to consider your approach the question of data privacy. Failing to do so could cause serious harm, to the school, its stakeholders, or its learners. Our data protection for schools programme aims at helping you to understand your responsibilities, and plot your actions.
We have already helped many organisations comply with data protection law through our Data Protection Compliance Programme. But what are the key considerations surrounding data protection for schools specifically? Which areas should you focus on? What solutions should you avoid?
Schools have certain unique data protection risks and requirements, and generic guidance is often not enough. You require detailed help to streamline your efforts, so that you can protect people from harm, and secure their right to privacy.
We can help. We simplify the requirements of data protection law, making it easy to understand and apply in a schooling environment. We also guide you through the practical issues that schools face most often. We can offer this material in the form of an online programme or an in-person workshop, either of which will be presented by an experienced data protection expert. If you are looking for a shorter, high-level summary of this content to brief the principal or governing body, please ask us about an executive briefing.
What laws apply to your processing?
Different data protection laws will apply to your organisation depending on where you are based, or where your data subjects are from. Depending on your circumstances, you may need to comply with:
- the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – if you are based in the European Union, or process the personal data of data subjects who are.
- the Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA) – if you are based in South Africa.
- or other data protection laws that may apply in your location.
We can help you to identify the data protection laws applicable to you, and help you take practical and effective steps to comply with them.
Will joining this lens help my organisation comply?
As a school, your time and resources are likely already straining under your various responsibilities. We want to help you solve at least one of these in a way that is both efficient and cost-effective. Our data protection for schools lens deals specifically with those data protection issues that are most pressing for schools. It will help you through the key actions that your school should take to comply.
Who should join the data protection for schools lens?
Whoever is responsible for privacy and data protection in your school. Who this person is will vary from school to school. It could be the person in your school that focuses on legal or compliance. This programme is not for everyone in your school. While there may be many different people involved in processing personal data at schools, we believe that you should have one or two people focus on the topic. They can then help manage and guide your entire school to protect privacy and personal data. Examples of who the person might be:
- Head of operations, Business managers, Finance managers, Bursar, Compliance managers – to ensure that the school protects privacy and the personal data the school processes.
- Governing body (boards or council) member (especially those focusing on legal and compliance issues) – to learn how best to comply with privacy laws.
- Data Protection Officer (or Information Officer) – to better understand the balance between access to and protection of data, and reduce their risk of personal liability.
- Senior executive member – to learn how to protect the data processed under diverse portfolios.
What are the outcomes?
- Protect people (like learners, parent and teachers) from harm by protecting their personal data that your organisation processes.
- Reduce the risks of non-compliance (like damage to your brand and losing the trust of your stakeholders) by focusing your efforts.
- Reduce your overall costs by doing it yourself with our assistance.
- Fast track your efforts by accessing deep knowledge, expertise and experience. Save time by having an expert guide and coach you.
- Comply with the data protection laws that your organisation must comply with by putting the necessary controls in place.
- Become aware of data protection law by learning the latest developments as they relate to a school environment.
- Understand the broad landscape of data protection law and what practical steps you should take.
- Find out how data protection law will impact your school by looking at practical examples.
- Learn how to comply and implement data protection compliance in your school by seeing how it is done.
About the facilitator
Kevin offers practical solutions to difficult problems. He is thoughtful, enjoys tackling complex questions, and is determined to find answers that are simple, effective and insightful. He loves presenting on various legal topics and engages discussion easily. He has a passion for education, and strives to teach as much as he learns.
Why Michalsons?
- We believe in using the law as a tool to prevent harm from coming to people.
- We have significant practical experience dealing with data protection law.
- Our sessions are interactive, where you can ask questions, have your specific issues dealt with, and influence the discussion-points.
- We provide insight and simplify the issues, which can only be done after practically applying the laws to real business issues.
- We empower you to work through the duties yourself, and do not try to entrench ourselves in your organisation.
- We cover only those areas of data protection law that are most relevant to you, saving you time and money.
- We think practically about the issues faced by schools, and the dangers faced by students, helping you to apply your energies to the most risky areas.
How long does it take to work through the lens and programme?
You can work through this lens at your own pace and go as fast or slow as you like. Depending on the data protection processes you already have in place, it could take you a few hours or a few weeks to work through this lens.
Price
A lens is a complimentary programme that you get access to by joining the data protection programme. It contextualises data protection for a particular audience, such as community schemes, non-profits or schools.
These lenses serve as an additional guide as you work through the core programme.
100% Money Back Guarantee
We will refund you if you do not think you received value.