Minister considers partial backtrack on pupil PPS database
The Minister for Education, Jan O'Sullivan, is to review a new schools database which would have held personal details about primary students until they reach the age of 30.
Letters have been distributed to parents in recent days informing them of the new ‘Primary Online Database’ which contains details such as a child's PPS number and ethnicity.
The Department says the information will be used to 'formulate education policy' into the future.
However, Minister O'Sullivan has said she is prepared to reconsider the length of time the data is kept, admitting that keeping records until a former pupil turns 30 might be excessive.
She said: "That is an area of it that I would be happy to examine."
Meanwhile, The Department of Education has announced building work is now underway on four new schools being completed by the private sector.
The State will pay back for the four schools in: Skibbereen in Cork; Dundalk in Louth, Tulla in Clare, Carrick-on-Suir in Tipperary - over 25 years.
The funding for the projects is being provided jointly by AIB and the German Bank KfW.
Minister O'Sullivan says this is a “cost-effective” way to build schools which will "provide places for nearly 3,000 children".
She said: "It’s a very positive programme, we’ve had a number of other bundles delivered on a similar basis and I know from talking to the schools that they’re very happy with the way this process has worked."
