9/05/2023
Edmund O’Connell
[FYI request #22524 email]
Tēnā koe Edmund,
OIA: 1309101 – Privacy in the classroom
Thank you for your email of 21 April 2023 to the Ministry of Education requesting the following
information:
My family is moving to Christchurch and my son is planning on attending St Anne’s school.
However, a family friend has now told me that cameras are being put in their classrooms.
Under the OIA I request documentation showing:
1. Have the school contacted the Ministry to seek guidance and what was it?
2. What guidance have you provided, and/ or would you provide?
3. Is there a Ministry Policy on this? If so, can i have a copy of it?
4. What process would the school have to go through to do this, like a Privacy Impact
Statement?
5. What is your expectation of schools in this area?
6. What advice and consultations were therefore done with the children? i want a copy
of this and I want this to also include what was said and provided to parents and
staff,
7. What are the specifications of the cameras being used?
8. Do the police need to be consulted? Would you expect the school to consult with
them?
9. Are there security requirements to ensure the safety of the system? Both physical
and cyber? Are there limits to how long the information can be held? I want copies
of the forms that spell this out.
10. Would the classroom teacher or parents be informed before footage was reviewed?
11. Is there a form that must be filled out to access this system? Can I have a copy of
that request form?
12. Who has access to this system and how can they access it? Can i have a copy of
this process?
13. Would the Ministry expect the school to consult with the privacy commission?
14. What guidance has the Ministry received from the privacy commission on child
privacy in the classroom?
We have determined that the information requested in questions 4, 6, 7, 9, 10, 11, 12 is not held by
the Ministry, but is believed to be held by St Anne’s Catholic School.
8 Gilmer Terrace, Levels Ground floor, 1, 2, and 6-14, Wellington
PO Box 1666, Wellington 6140 Phone: +64 4 463 8000
This letter is to advise you that it is necessary to transfer those parts of your request to St Anne’s
Catholic School, and that we are extending the 10 working day time limit available to make this
transfer, to 22 May 2023.
This extension is necessary because consultations necessary to make a decision on your request
are such that the transfer could not reasonably be made within the original time limit.
I have transferred your request to St Anne’s Catholic School in accordance with section 14(b)(i) of
the Act. You may expect a response from St Anne’s Catholic School directly concerning your
request.
You have the right to seek an investigation and review by the Ombudsman of this decision.
Information about how to make a complaint is available at www.ombudsman.parliament.nz or
freephone 0800 802 602.
Nāku noa, nā
Emma Drysdale
Manager, Official and Parliamentary Information
Government, Executive and Ministerial Services
