DES Circular 25/2015 – Pupil Online Database
The DES has issued a revised circular regarding the collection and operation of POD. It addresses the main issues and concerns that are arising during the data population period and provides guidance and clarification to schools to ensure that all pupils are entered on POD for grant payments and teacher allocation purposes.
Once POD is operational, it will replace the current mandatory requirement for schools to maintain a hard copy of the Clárleabhar. It is at the discretion of the school to continue this practice for their own records.
A revised version of the POD Fair Processing Notice outlines the legal basis under which schools can request pupils PPSN numbers from parents/guardians.
The main points of clarification included in the circular are:
Process of Data & Data Protection
The DES requires that a record of written consent from the parents or guardians for two sensitive personal variables (religion and ethnic/cultural background) should be retained for inspection in the school for the duration of each pupil’s enrolment. This information should be defined by the parents/guardian and not by the schools. If schools do not require these records for their own purposes after that period, they can be securely disposed of once the pupil has left the school.
Repeating a year
POD will show if pupils have repeated a year in your school or transferred and are repeating a class in your school. Schools are reminded of DES Circular 32/2003 on the retention of pupils in the same grade.
POD Note Areas
Schools are reminded that the notes area in the pupil section of POD is only visible to schools. This information will not travel with the pupil upon transfer to another school. The comments area in the schools section of POD is visible to both the school and the DES and should not be used to store personal information or to send queries to the Department.
DES Circular 25/2015 – Pupil Online Database
The DES has issued a revised circular regarding the collection and operation of POD. It addresses the main issues and concerns that are arising during the data population period and provides guidance and clarification to schools to ensure that all pupils are entered on POD for grant
Requirements for schools to ensure all pupils are counted on POD for grant payment and teacher allocation purposes
- Parents/Guardians of all new entrants from 2015/2016 onwards should be informed that prior to enrolment that it will mandatory to transfer their data to POD. Any pupil that is enrolled and their information not transferred to POD will not attract grant payments or be counted for capitation purposes.
- Parents/Guardians of pupils already enrolled in the 2015/2015 school year who continue to object strongly to the transfer of data following the issuing of the revised Fair Processing Note should:
- Put their objections in writing to the school. Verbal objections will not be sufficient and parents/guardians should be informed by the school that their data will be transferred to POD within 4 weeks
- Where schools have received a written objection, a partial record for that pupil can be created on POD. Guidelines are available from the POD Helpdesk. Partial records will only be accepted for pupils who are already enrolled in the school
- From 2016/2017 school year, all enrolled pupils in a school are required to have a POD record
Repeating a year
POD will show if pupils have repeated a year in your school or transferred and are repeating a class in your school. Schools are reminded of DES Circular 32/2003 on the retention of pupils in the same grade.
POD Note Areas
Schools are reminded that the notes area in the pupil section of POD is only visible to schools. This information will not travel with the pupil upon transfer to another school. The comments area in the schools section of POD is visible to both the school and the DES and should not be used to store personal information or to send queries to the Department.
The General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) came into force on the 25th May 2018.
The following will apply to schools and their data as part of GDPR:
1. Personal data must be fairly and lawfully processed.
2. Accuracy – Personal data must be accurate and kept up to date.
3. Security – Personal data should be kept secure in terms of encryption and accessibility.
4. Keep data for no longer than is necessary.
5. Individuals rights – right of access to information, right to rectification. 6. Information is only shared with those who need it.