Data protection means you can't take books home

[DermotOLogical]

Hearing from colleagues that this is the new "thing". Has anyone else experienced this?

I'd be screwed if my school decided this, I do quite a bit of marking at home to fit round kids.

Nope, never heard of this. I do most of my marking at home. What do they think might happen? My cat might see a child's full name? Ridiculous.

Apparently it's because the books have the pupils names on.... Ridiculous I know!

It would be the straw that broke the camels back if this happened to me.

New GDPR will change the way lots of things happen in schools. Begins May 2018.

GDPR?

That would be a nightmare! I need peace and quiet to mark-it is so much easier at home.

Well, the marking policies would have to be relaxed then. My DP has never shown any interest in reading my kids’ names.

If I can't take books home then we'll all just have to do anything that needs to be marked on paper with just initials/code so you know whose work you are marking.

What exactly is changing in the data protection act to say we can't take books home?

If my school implemented this nothing would be marked! School closes at 5.30 in the dot every day.

If name only is the issue, then you could pdeudonymise by allocating codes to each one and only recording that on the book... though arguably in English/writing books there might be other personal information of a biographical nature...

Yes, even as an information governance practitioner, I think this is too far. You should just be careful over security in transition, e.g. Don't leave in unattended car or luggage.

Lol, well if they do that the schools will just have to ensure teachers have extra cover so they can mark within school time. That’s what I’d tell the head if I was a teacher lol.

In fact, if you want to play them at their own game, suggest they do a Data Protection Impact Assessment to assess the risks and how you can mitigate against them. I think the risks are so low that there should be no problem.

It is bonkers, a quick Google of GDPR doesn't seem to go to this extreme.

I can't find anything easily online to say we can't take books/tests home to mark. Isn't it talking about the same sort of data that is already covered, like addresses and phone numbers, rather than exercise books?

Snuper

There is nothing in DPA or GDPR that says you can’t take personal data home, as long as the risks have been assessed and mitigated/eliminated.

What identifiable personal data is in school books anyway? Name on the front? Not enough to cause a breach!

My thoughts exactly fedup and dragon.

Sensitive information like grades, SEN, PP is protected (password on USB). I'm not sure a list of names constitutes a data breach.

It is bonkers

Well no, surely anything that means schools and the workload of teachers get looked at is a good thing?

Imagine, being paid to plan, resource, report on, grade [and the rest] your lessons, rather than having to do it all with your own time and money?

I know, I know; I live my own private Idaho.

I had an email about this new GDPR this week but haven't got round to reading it yet. Will do so and see if there is anything in it.

I would urge everyone working with personal data to read up on data protection reform (https://ico.org.uk/for-organisations/data-protection-reform/) --

Organisations and businesses should be making staff aware of the changes, and “upgrading” of data protection, but I know have a strong suspicion that many are not...