Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP)

In the fall of 1995, the Alberta FOIP Act was passed and applied to all provincial public bodies. On September 1, 1998, school jurisdictions came under the governance of the FOIP Act.

The FOIP Act ensures that:

• Edmonton Catholic Schools provides the public with access to information.
• Edmonton Catholic Schools protects individual (personal) privacy.

Five Basic Principles of FOIP:

• The public has a right to access records held by Edmonton Catholic Schools, subject to some exceptions.
• Edmonton Catholic Schools must collect, use, protect , and disclose personal information in accordance with the FOIP Act.
• You have the right to access information about yourself, subject to some exceptions.
• You have the right to request a correction to your personal information if it is not accurate.
• You have the right to an independent review of the decisions made by Edmonton Catholic Schools under the FOIP Act.

Protection of Privacy

You have the right to privacy. You personal information includes such things as your name, address, age, gender, educational history, ID number, and medical information.

All the personal information provided to Edmonton Catholic Schools, whether on a student registration form or in another format, is considered private, is treated with confidentiality, and is kept secure. Only the staff who require the information to do their job will have access to personal information. In circumstances defined by the FOIP Act, Edmonton Catholic Schools may be obligated to provide personal information to another organization.

In order to continue numerous activities that support student learning, Edmonton Catholic Schools has developed a FOIP Registration Addendum form. The form addresses other uses of personal information and should be signed by the student and/or parent/guardian upon registration.

Your consent allows the school to continue many of the activities that occur regularly such as posting student work, acknowledging student accomplishments, and producing yearbooks. You may revoke your consent, in writing, at any time.

Accessing Records

Edmonton Catholic Schools has always made information available to students, their parents/guardians, employees, and the public. Most information can be obtained outside of the FOIP Act by asking the school or department directly.

The FOIP Act is complementary to and does not replace existing procedures for obtaining information held by Edmonton Catholic Schools. However, any routine disclosure or personal information by Edmonton Catholic Schools must comply with FOIP Act.

Documents Already Available

The district education plan, budget, audited financial statement, minutes of the boards meetings, policies, and district achievement and diploma results are all examples of public documents.

These documents and other district-level information are available for review in our reading area at:
Catholic Educations Services
9807 - 106 Street, Edmonton, Alberta
Please call (780) 441-6000 for information about the hours the reading area is open. School-level information is available at each school.

Making A Request Under FOIP

Please contact the school or department directly to request information before making a formal FOIP request. A FOIP request is considered the last alternative in the acquisition of information.

If the requested information is withheld and the explanation for why it is being withheld is unsatisfactory, a request can be made under the FOIP Act.

FOIP requests are made in writing to the FOIP Coordinator. The Request for Access to Information form is available from the FOIP Coordinator.

FOIP Coordinator
Edmonton Catholic Schools
Catholic Education Services
9807-106 Street
Edmonton, Alberta, T5K 1C2
Telephone: (780) 441-6000
Fax: (780) 423-3031
Email: info@ecsd.net

Edmonton Catholic Schools treats student information with respect and confidentiality. At the same time, we strive to make as much information as possible to all members of the public. How we handle information is directed by the School Act, the Student Record Regulation, the Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (FOIP), other legislation, protocols, and our district polices and regulations.