Concern over database of pupils’ info

The Department of Education did not have the authority to collect much of the information gathered for a database of primary pupils, Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon’s office has found.

However, a statutory instrument to be introduced by Education Minister Jan O’Sullivan should make the primary online database (POD) compliant with data protection law, so data already collected would not need to be discarded.

An investigation by the office of the Data Protection Commissioner (DPC) took place after parents complained about the plan to share a range of data collected through schools.