(In compliance with the Commonwealth Privacy Amendment (Private Sector) Act 2000)

1. Your privacy is important

1. This statement outlines the policy adopted by the Catholic Education Office, Sydney (CEO) for Schools and offices of the Archdiocesan system on how the personal information provided to, or collected by it, is used and managed.
   
   
2. The CEO is bound by the National Privacy Principles contained in the Commonwealth Privacy Act.
   
   
3. The CEO may, from time to time, review and update this Privacy Policy to take account of new laws and technology, changes to operations and practices and to make sure it remains appropriate to the changing educational environment.
   

2. What kind of personal information does the CEO collect and how does the CEO collect it?

1. The type of information the CEO collects and holds includes (but is not limited to) personal information, including sensitive information, about:
   • pupils and parents and/or guardians ('Parents') before, during and after the course of a pupil's enrolment at the School;
     
   • job applicants, staff members, volunteers and contractors; and
     
   • other people who come into contact with the CEO.
   
   
2. Personal Information you provide : The CEO will generally collect personal information held about an individual by way of forms filled out by Parents or pupils, face-to-face meetings and interviews, and telephone calls. On occasions people other than Parents and pupils provide personal information.
   
   
3. Personal Information provided by other people : In some circumstances the CEO may be provided with personal information about an individual from a third party, for example a report provided by a medical professional or a reference from another School.
   
   
4. Exception in relation to employee records: Under the Privacy Act the National Privacy Principles do not apply to an employee record. As a result, this Privacy Policy does not apply to the CEO's treatment of an employee record, where the treatment is directly related to a current or former employment relationship between the CEO and an employee.
   

3. How will the CEO use the personal information you provide?

The CEO will use personal information it collects from you for the primary purpose of collection and for such other secondary purposes that are related to the primary purpose of collection and reasonably expected, or to which you have consented.

1. Pupils and Parents: In relation to personal information of pupils and Parents, the school's primary purpose of collection is to enable it, in partnership with the CEO to provide schooling for the pupil. This includes satisfying both the needs of Parents and the needs of the pupil throughout the whole period the pupil is enrolled at the school.
   
   
2. The purposes for which the CEO uses personal information of pupils and Parents include:
   • to keep Parents informed about matters related to their child's Schooling, through correspondence, newsletters and magazines;
     
   • day-to-day administration;
     
   • looking after pupils' educational, social, spiritual and medical wellbeing;
     
   • marketing for the CEO;
     
   • to satisfy legal obligations and allow the school to discharge its duty of care.
     
   
   
3. In some cases where the CEO requests personal information about a pupil or Parent, ifthe information requested is not obtained, the school may not be able to enrol or continue the enrolment of the pupil.
   
   
4. Job applicants, staff members and contractors: In relation to personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors, the CEO's primary purpose of collection is to assess and (if successful) to engage the applicant, staff member or contractor, as the case may be.
   
   The purposes for which the CEO uses personal information of job applicants, staff members and contractors include:
   • in administering the individual's employment or contract, as the case may be;
     
   • for insurance purposes;
     
   • marketing for the CEO;
     
   • to satisfy the CEO's legal obligations, for example, in relation to child protection legislation.
   
   
5. Volunteers: The CEO also obtains personal information about volunteers who assist the schools in its functions or conduct associated activities, such as Alumni organisations or Parents and Friends Associations, to enable the CEO and the volunteers to work together.
   
   
6. Marketing and fundraising: The CEO treats marketing and seeking donations for the future growth and development of the schools as an important part of ensuring that the schools continues to be a quality learning environment in which both pupils and staff thrive. Personal information held by the school may be disclosed to an organisation that assists in the school's fundraising, for example, the Parents and Friends Association or Alumni organisation.
   
   
7. Parents, staff, contractors and other members of the wider School community may from time to time receive fundraising information. Publications, like newsletters and magazines, which include personal information, may be used for marketing purposes.
   
   
8. Exception in relation to related schools: The Privacy Act allows each school, being legally related to each of the other schools conducted by the CEO Sydney to share personal information with other schools conducted by the CEO Sydney. Other CEO Sydney, schools may then only use this personal information for the purpose for which the disclosing school originally collected it. This allows schools to transfer information between them, for example, when a pupil transfers from a CEO Sydney school to another school conducted by the CEO Sydney.
   
   

4. Who might the CEO disclose personal information to?

1. The CEO may disclose personal information, including sensitive information, held about an individual (student / family) to:
   • another School;
     
   • government departments;
     
   • the local parish;
     
   • medical practitioners;
     
   • people providing services to the CEO, including specialist visiting teachers and sports coaches;
     
   • recipients of School publications, like newsletters and magazines;
     
   • Parents; and
     
   • anyone you authorise the CEO to disclose information to.
     
   
   
2. Sending information overseas: The CEO will not send personal information about an individual outside Australia without:
   • obtaining the consent of the individual (in some cases this consent will be implied); or
   • otherwise complying with the National Privacy Principles.

5. How does the CEO treat sensitive information?

1. In referring to 'sensitive information', the CEO means: information relating to a person's racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religion, trade union or other professional or trade association membership, sexual preferences or criminal record, that is also personal information; and health information about an individual.
   
   
2. Sensitive information will be used and disclosed only for the purpose for which it was provided or a directly related secondary purpose, unless you agree otherwise, or the use or disclosure of the sensitive information is allowed by law.
   
   

6. Management and security of personal information

1. The CEOs' staff are required to respect the confidentiality of pupils' and Parents' personal information and the privacy of individuals.
   
   
2. The CEO has in place steps to protect the personal information the CEO holds from misuse, loss, unauthorised access, modification or disclosure by use of various methods including locked storage of paper records and pass worded access rights to computerised records
   
   

7. Updating personal information.

1. The CEO endeavours to ensure that the personal information it holds is accurate, complete and up-to-date.
   
   
2. A person may seek to update their personal information held by the CEO by contacting the school or relevant department of the CEO at any time.
   
   
3. The National Privacy Principles require the CEO not to store personal information longer than necessary.
   
   

8. You (parents and students) have the right to check what personal information the CEO holds about you.

1. Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act, an individual has the right to obtain access to any personal information which the CEO holds about them and to advise the CEO of any perceived inaccuracy.
   
   
2. There are some exceptions to this right set out in the Act.
   • Pupils will generally have access to their personal information through their Parents, but older pupils may seek access themselves.
   • To make a request to access any information the CEO holds about you or your child, the CEO's Principal should be contacted in writing.
   • The CEO may require you to verification of identity and specify what information is required.
   • The CEO may charge a fee to cover the cost of verifying applications and locating, retrieving, reviewing and copying any material requested. If the information sought is extensive, the CEO will advise the likely cost in advance.

9. Consent and rights of access to the personal information of pupils

1. The CEO respects every Parent's right to make decisions concerning their child's education.
   
   
2. Generally, the CEO will refer any requests for consent and notices in relation to the personal information of a pupil to the pupil's Parents. The CEO will treat consent given by Parents as consent given on behalf of the pupil, and notice to Parents will act as notice given to the pupil.
   
   
3. Parents may seek access to personal information held by the CEO about them or their child by contacting the Principal or the CEO directly. However, there will be occasions when access is denied. Such occasions would include:
   • where release of the information would have an unreasonable impact on the privacy of others, or
     
   • where the release may result in a breach of the CEO's duty of care to the pupil.
     
     
4. The CEO may, at its discretion, on the request of a pupil grant that pupil access to information held by the CEO about them, or allow a pupil to give or withhold consent to the use of their personal information, independently of their Parents. This would normally be done only when the maturity of the pupil and/or the pupil's personal circumstances so warranted.
   

10. You may seek access to the personal information the CEO holds about you

1. Under the Commonwealth Privacy Act, an individual may seek access to personal information which the CEO holds about them. There are some exceptions to this set out in the Act. Pupils will generally have access to their personal information through their Parents, but older pupils may seek access themselves.
   
   
2. To make a request to access any information the CEO holds about you or your child, the Principal should be contacted in writing.
   
   
3. The CEO may require you to verify your identity and specify what information you require.
   
   
4. The CEO may charge a fee for access and will advise the likely cost in advance.
   
   

Enquiries

If you would like further information about the way the Catholic Education Office, Sydney manage the personal information they hold, contact should be made with the CEO Principal.