GDPR: Is the DfE failing to prepare schools for the new data future?
The Department for Education has acknowledged that more needs to be done to help schools prepare for strict new data protection laws, with just over a month left before they come into force.
Teachers and leaders have been complaining that the government has not properly briefed schools on the General Data Protection Regulations (GDPR), which come in to force on May 25.
Under the rules, schools will face fines if they are not clear about the data they hold on pupils or not quick enough in responding to requests for copies of personal data. Schools must also appoint a data protection officer to supervise the handling of data.
Complaints about a lack of adequate guidance have prompted the government to promise further information for schools on the GDPR, in the form of more guidance and “case studies”. It is understood it will be published ahead of the May 25 deadline.
Geoff Barton, the general secretary of the Association of School and College Leaders, said he had asked the DfE “on several occasions” for more guidance.
“We are disappointed that the department has not been more proactive on this issue,” he toldSchools Week.
“ASCL has compiled and circulated a factsheet to all our members, and we have run a series of seminars on this subject.”
At the annual conference of the Association of Teachers and Lecturers earlier this month, members passed a motion demanding “succinct and accessible advice for schools” and extra funding for training and implementation. Delegates warned that schools are forking out millions of pounds to private companies and local councils for help with the new regulations.
In Essex, the county council has even launched a service offering “information audits” for £750 per primary and £1,000 per secondary school. For a fee of £1,500 a year, the council will also provide schools with a data protection officer.
