Schools and colleges now collect more student data than ever – application forms, medical records, exam scores, CCTV recordings, online learning logs, even behavioural notes. This raises serious privacy questions.
Legally, educational institutions are expected to:
- Collect only necessary data,
- Store it securely,
- Limit access to authorised staff,
- Not share it with third parties without a valid reason or consent (except when required by law).
CCTV cameras are often justified on safety grounds, but they should not be placed in highly private spaces like washrooms. Retention periods matter too – footage and logs shouldn’t be kept forever without purpose.
EdTech platforms used by schools must also follow data protection rules. Children’s data is especially sensitive; laws often demand parental consent, extra care around profiling, and restrictions on using student data for targeted advertising.
Parents and older students can ask institutions about their privacy policy: How long do you keep our data? Who can see it? What happens when a student leaves? If private information is leaked or misused, complaints to regulators, education departments, or data protection authorities may be possible.
Education shouldn’t come at the cost of lifelong digital vulnerability.
