06 October 2014

Primary Online Database

 

6th October 2014                                                                                                                                                   

Dear Parent,

The Department of Education and Skills is developing an electronic database of primary school pupils called the Primary Online Database (POD) which will involve schools maintaining and returning data on pupils to the Department at individual pupil level on a live system. The database will allow the Department to evaluate progress and outcomes of pupils at primary level, to validate school enrolment returns for grant payment and teacher allocation purposes, to follow up on pupils who do not make the transfer from primary to post primary level and for statistical reporting.

The database will hold data on all primary school pupils including their PPSN, First Name, Surname, Name as per Birth Certificate, Mother’s Maiden Name, Address, Date of Birth, Gender, Nationality, whether one of the pupil’s mother tongues is English or Irish, whether the pupil is in receipt of an Exemption from Irish and if so the reason for same, whether the pupil is in receipt of Learning Support and if so the type of learning support, whether the pupil is in a Mainstream or Special Class. The database will record the class grouping and standard the pupil is enrolled in. The database will also contain, on an optional basis, information on the pupil’s religion and on their ethnic or cultural background.

In order to assist with the gathering of data please complete this form in CAPITAL LETTERS and return to the school.  This form will be retained by the primary school.

Pupil Forename : 

Pupil Surname: 

Class: 

Address: 

Date of Birth : 

Birth Certificate Forename (if different from above): 

Birth Certificate Surname (if different from above) : 

PPS Number: 

Mothers Maiden name: 

Nationality: 

Gender: 

Is one of the pupil’s mother tongues (i.e. language spoken at home) Irish or English? Yes/No  

 

Please complete both sides of questionnaire

 

The Department has consulted with the Data Protection Commissioner in relation to the collection of individual pupil information for the Primary Online Database.  Both religion and ethnic and cultural background are considered sensitive personal data categories under Data Protection legislation. Therefore, it is necessary for each pupil’s parent/guardian to identify their child’s religion and ethnic background, and to consent for this information to be transferred to the Department of Education and Skills.  All other information held on POD was deemed by the Data Protection Commissioner as non-sensitive personal data.

Written parental consent to share level 2 data (Ethnic or cultural background and Religion) with DES:  Yes/No –  

To which ethnic or cultural background group does your child belong (please tick one): 

Categories are taken from the Census of Population:

White Irish  Irish Traveller  Roma  Any other White Background  Black African  Any other Black Background  Chinese  Any other Asian background  Other (inc. mixed background)  

No Consent 

What is your child’s Religion: 

Roman Catholic  Church of Ireland (incl. Protestant)  Presbyterian  Methodist, Wesleyan  Jewish  Muslim (Islamic)  Orthodox (Greek, Coptic, Russian)  Apostolic or Pentecostal  Hindu  Buddhist  Jehovahs Witness  Lutheran  Atheist  Baptist  Agnostic  Other Religions  No Religion 

 No Consent 

 

I consent for this information to be stored on the Primary Online Database (POD) and transferred to the Department of Education and Skills and any other primary schools my child may transfer to during the course of their time in primary school.

Signed: ___________________________

Parent/Guardian

Date: ____________________________

 Please complete this form and return to your primary school. For further information on POD please go to the Department of Education and Skills’ website www.education.ie