What is personal information?

Personal information held by school boards is subject to MFIPPA’s access and privacy provisions. MFIPPA defines personal information as recorded information about an identifiable individual.3 It includes information such as name, address, and phone number. Other examples include:

  • school photos and videos
  • health information
  • student records
A record may contain personal information even if it does not include a name. For example, if a teacher posts students’ grades or test scores in a way that the identity of the students could be determined, even without their names, this could be a disclosure of personal information.

 

Personal information can be recorded in any format. In a school board setting, this may include:

  • paper records, such as report cards, class lists, or printed special education records, including individual education plans, safety plans, or behaviour plans
  • electronic records, such as electronic student attendance records
  • photographs, including yearbook images
  • video footage, including from surveillance cameras located in schools, or from video collected for professional development

 


3. MFIPPA, s. 2(1) 

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