The Board of Education of School District No. 46 (Sunshine Coast) (“SD46”) works to equip our students with the skills necessary in an increasingly digital world. We recognize the significance of access to digital technologies and therefore offer an opportunity for grade 4 to 12 students to work with Google educational internet applications (“Google Suite for Education”), as described below.
Google is an American multinational, for-profit technology company. Google Suite for Education is designed by Google for use by K-12 students and provide a range of online collaboration and productivity tools. Google states that Google Suite for Education is a secure, private and ad-free environment and offers more control and protection than a personal Google/Gmail account. SD46 is not in a position to verify all of Google’s representations or privacy protections, but the platform is currently used by thousands of schools, with tens of millions of student accounts around the world and SD46 is not aware of any issues.
As a public institution, we are subject to the B.C. Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, and we recognize the importance of protecting the privacy of students under our care. Google’s servers are located outside of Canada, which means that any information in the student’s Google account is subject to the laws of a foreign jurisdiction, which may not provide the same privacy protections as Canadian laws. Accordingly, students should not submit any private or personal information to Google including information such as surnames, addresses, phone numbers or photos of individuals that make them identifiable.
Information about Google’s privacy and information management practices are set out in Google’s Terms of Services and Privacy Policy at: https://policies.google.com/terms?hl=en-US. Google states that it will not monitor or track student online activity to identify or contact individual students, but it may collect information about how its systems are being used generally by students, to provide, maintain and improve its products and services. In addition, this collected information may be used for educational purposes for students to access media and other resources offered by SD46.
By signing this form, you are consenting to the collection, use and disclosure of the student’s personal information through the use of Chromebooks and Google Suite for Education as described above. You are also acknowledging and agreeing that this information may be disclosed, used and accessible outside of Canada as outlined above and in the Google Privacy Policy referenced above.
While use of Google Suite for Education is not an educational requirement, you may find that your child’s educational experience is enriched by having access to these tools. If you choose to grant permission, please sign the consent form along with your child’s signed consent and return it to their classroom teacher who will then provide further instructions to your child on how to access Google Suite for Education. If you choose not to grant permission, an alternative resource will be provided. This consent will be considered valid from the date it is signed and will remain valid for the duration of your child’s enrollment at the school. You may withdraw consent at any time by writing to your child’s school principal.
If you have questions about the intended use of Google Suite for Education in your child’s classroom, please speak with your child’s teacher or school principal.
