Privacy
The Privacy and Personal Information Protection Act 1998 requires NSW Government agencies to treat information about known individuals with special care. The Act has requirements in relation to the collection, storage, use and disclosure of such personal information.
The Act acknowledges that particular agencies will have important roles to carry out on behalf of the public that may require these restrictions on personal information to be departed from or modified. In such cases, a Privacy Code of Practice can modify the Act to allow the agency to carry out its function.
The Department of Education and Training has in place a Privacy Code of Practice to allow for the work of schools and TAFE NSW colleges – broadly, it covers the following domains:
- Investigative functions
- Parents/caregivers
- Counsellor records
- Child protection
- Safe and disciplined learning environment
- Legal purposes
- Board of Studies