1. Introduction
Kowie Foundation School is committed to protecting personal information and respecting privacy in line with the Protection of Personal Information Act, 2013 (POPIA). This policy explains how personal information is handled when families, staff, and users interact with the school website and portal services.
2. Information We Collect
Parent and guardian information
- Full name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Username and encrypted password
- Relationship to learner or learners
- Login and access history
Teacher information
- Full name
- Email address
- Telephone number
- Username and encrypted password
- Uploaded documents and teaching materials
- Calendar events created
- Login and access history
Student information
- Student name
- Grade level
- Relationship to parent or guardian
Technical information
- IP address
- Browser type and version
- Device information
- Access dates and times
- Pages visited
- Actions performed for audit and security purposes
3. How We Use Personal Information
Personal information may be processed for the following purposes:
- Providing access to parent and teacher portal services.
- Displaying relevant calendar events, newsletters, and school information.
- Supporting communication between the school and families.
- Managing educational documents and shared resources.
- Authenticating users and preventing unauthorised access.
- Maintaining security logs and audit trails.
- Sending important school announcements and support communication.
4. Legal Basis for Processing
Personal information is processed on one or more of the following grounds:
- Consent for specific purposes where required.
- Contractual necessity in relation to school and service delivery functions.
- Legal obligation under applicable education or privacy requirements.
- Legitimate interest in school administration, security, and service improvement.
5. Security and Retention
Security measures
- Encrypted password storage using industry-standard hashing.
- HTTPS for data transmission where applicable.
- Authenticated access controls and session management.
- Rate limiting and logging to help protect against misuse.
- Role-based access control and audit logging.
Retention
Personal information is retained only for as long as it remains necessary to provide services, support security, meet legal obligations, or resolve disputes. Where legally permissible, information may be deleted or anonymised after an account is closed or a valid request is processed.
6. Your Rights Under POPIA
Data subjects may have the right to:
- Request access to personal information held about them.
- Request correction of inaccurate or incomplete information.
- Request deletion, subject to legal or operational retention obligations.
- Object to certain kinds of processing.
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.
- Lodge a complaint with the Information Regulator if they believe their rights have been infringed.
9. Contact and Complaints
Questions about this policy or requests relating to personal information can be directed to the school.
- Email: admin@kowiefoundationschool.co.za
- Phone: +27 71 770 3086
- Location: Wesley Church buildings, Port Alfred
If a data subject remains dissatisfied after contacting the school, a complaint may be lodged with the Information Regulator in South Africa.