Data Privacy is gaining importance due to the increasing usage of networks and servers for any form of communication. Cases of a data breach, misuse, leakage in the form of identity theft, extortion, harassment, financial fraud, brand damage, and even lawsuits & fines are rampant.
This has spread to schools and institutions as well. Technology apps and tools are increasing the scope for educators and students to collaborate, create, check and share ideas more easily than ever. Students are also actively involved in third-party networks and social media platforms increasing their risk for a data breach.
When schools use technology, students’ data is collected by educators to understand their students better. Thus, it is important for teachers to understand the implications of student data breaches.
WHY SHOULD SCHOOL EDUCATORS CARE ABOUT STUDENT DATA PRIVACY?
Traditionally, student data consists of things like attendance, academic grades, discipline records, and health records. Access to that data used to be restricted, primarily, to the administrator, guidance counsellor, teacher, or other school officials who needed it to serve the educational needs of the child.
With the use of technology in schools, traditional data is now often shared with companies that offer Student Information Systems (SIS), Learning Management Systems (LMS), and other management technologies. Parents, students, and others have raised concerns about what information is being collected or shared, and what use those companies might make of that data.
All communications between students and teachers, parents and teachers or students and other students are now created, collected, and often held by third party educational technology vendors.
WHAT ARE THE PRACTICES AND PROCESSES IN DIGITAL DATA PRIVACY SCHOOL STUDENTS SHOULD KNOW?
Teachers are obliged to follow a certain model of good digital citizenship practices with their students. While there are no stringent laws passed as yet, Justice B.N. Sri Krishna Committee has proposed The Personal Data Protection Bill.
The bill categorizes data as Sensitive, Critical, and General.
Sensitive data is one that includes financial, health, biometrics, religious or political beliefs, etc. and can be stored only in India.
Critical data will be defined by the government from time to time and has to be stored and processed in India.
Lastly, General data can be stored and processed without any restrictions.
In addition to this, there needs to be an incident response manual for students and educators in case of any data breaches.
Schools and administrators also need to choose secure data frameworks that are credible and reputed for their intra-school communication and exchange.
Univariety Data Privacy:
Univariety manages the data of over a million students and has adhered to the ethical principles of data security. We use secure servers that leave no scope for student data leaks.
Data privacy is a pressing issue and it is only with the best in technology and systems that we can fight it. Simply put, student data privacy is extremely important because there are certain legal and ethical limitations on data collection, use, sharing, and handling of student information. Also, because student data privacy is a critical and growing issue worldwide, it is imperative that all high-schools have a clear understanding of all the issues at hand. Schools also need to have a clearly outlined policy that covers important aspects of data privacy within their school.
In this age of data breaches and insecurity, it is vital to choose secure servers, well-established sites and corporate houses who wouldn’t trade your data for monetary gains. Educators also need to ensure that their students are aware of the various laws and practices to protect themselves from digital invasions.
Know About Data Privacy: Protect Your School Students
Nidarshana Sharma
A self-proclaimed coffee addict and a fan of self-help books, Nidarshana works very closely with schools, universities, and educators at Univariety. In her decade-long career, she has dabbled in Account Management, Zumba fitness, and in several forms of writing- from features to creative blogs to social media. She is also a dancer, fitness enthusiast, and a noisy vegan
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Nidarshana Sharmahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/nidarshana-sharma/
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Nidarshana Sharmahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/nidarshana-sharma/
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Nidarshana Sharmahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/nidarshana-sharma/
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Nidarshana Sharmahttps://www.univariety.com/blog/author/nidarshana-sharma/
