Effective Date: May 25, 2000
Responsibility: Director of Education
The objective of this guideline is to outline provisions for the management of information within the District School Board, ensuring economy and efficiency in the creation, maintenance, retrieval, storage and disposition of records while providing for the co-ordination of activities required to support records management services within the Near North District School Board.
The guideline applies to all Near North District School Board schools and departments unless otherwise specified.
1. The District School Board, under the authority of Section 150(36) of the Education Act, has adopted a records management system in accordance with the following criteria:
1.1 provide a record keeping system that efficiently maintains and retrieves information;
1.2 provide efficient and prompt disposal of records when their administrative, legal and fiscal values have ceased and all legislated requirements have been met while preserving those records of enduring value;
1.3 provide for the development and efficient use of computer and micrographic systems where cost effective applications exist;
1.4 provide records management input into the planning and development of systems designed to enhance information management;
1.5 standardize the type of equipment and supplies utilized in the maintaining of records within the District School Board and provide for records management input into the design or redesign of existing or future accommodation in the schools and departments;
1.6 reduce the creation of unnecessary records, including forms, directives and reports;
1.7 provide for the storage and retrieval of inactive records;
1.8 provide specific protection to vital and archival records;
1.9 provide for training of staff involved in delivering and using the program.
2. The Records Retention Schedule contains the minimum retention periods for various documents. Administration will modify those time limits from time to time as required by Federal and Provincial legislation and regulations.
3. Whereas the Near North District School Board supports the principles set out in the Freedom of Information and Protection of Individual Privacy Act, 1989 including:
3.1 information held by the institution covered by the legislation should, in general, be available to the public;
3.2 exemptions from the right of access to information should be limited and specific;
3.3 personal information held by institutions should be protected from unauthorized disclosure; and
3.4 decisions relating to access to information should be reviewed by the independent Information and Privacy Commissioner.
Therefore, in compliance with this Act, the Board shall:
a) Provide a Directory of Records, that is amended as required, to meet the requirements of Sections 25 and 26 of the Act.
b) Provide an annual report to the Commissioner, using the form prescribed for Year-end Statistical Report for the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario.
c) Adopt the “Information Management Request Procedure”, Appendix A attached, to provide, where it legally can, information to the public.
d) Provide a procedure, as outlined in Appendix B, “Request to Correct Personal Information”, to make corrections and insure accuracy of Personal Information.
e) Authorize the Director of Education or designate to establish guidelines and procedures:
- setting standards for and requiring administrative, technical and physical safeguards to ensure the security and confidentiality of records and personal information under the Board’s control,
- to prevent the unauthorized access to records and to protect against inadvertent destruction of records as per the requirements of O.Reg. 517/90,
- to protect the confidentiality of computer discs, CD’s, tapes etc. supplied by various Government Ministries for planning purposes,
- to provide record keeping systems and services that efficiently maintain and retrieve information,
- to prevent the creation of unnecessary records, including forms directives and reports,
- to provide for the storage and retrieval of inactive records,
- to ensure that “record of use” or “a record of disclosure” as per Section 35 of the Act is included in personal information files and a record maintained for reporting to the Privacy Commissioner,
- to ensure that an inventory of forms in use throughout the system be taken periodically to substantiate that the information collected is relevant to the operation of the organization and that each form contains a use/notice of collection statement, Section 29[2] of the Act.
4. Specific Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy issues for staff and students is located in Administrative Guideline – Freedom of Information and Privacy – Staff and Students – May 25 , 2000.
