- The Ontario Student Record Guideline 2000, published by the Ministry of Education, states: It is the duty of the principal of a school to:
- establish, maintain, retain, transfer and dispose of a record for each
student enrolled in the school in compliance with this guideline and the
policies established by the board
- ensure that the materials in the OSR are collected and stored in
accordance with the policies in this guideline and the policies established
by the board;
- ensure the security of the OSR;
- ensure that all persons specified by a board to perform clerical functions
with respect to the establishment and maintenance of the OSR are aware
of the confidentiality provisions in the Education Act and the relevant
freedom of information and protection of privacy legislation.
- The Ontario Student Record Guideline 2000 is divided into 11 sections:
- Establishment of the OSR
- Responsibility for the OSR
- Components of the OSR
An OSR will consist of the following components:
- an OSR folder in Form 1A or Form 1
- report cards
- an Ontario Student Transcript, where applicable
- a documentation file, where applicable
- an office index card
- additional information identified as being conducive to the
improvement of the instruction of the student.
- Access to the OSR
- Use and maintenance of the OSR
- Transfer of the OSR
- Retirement of a student
- Retention, storage, destruction of information in the OSR
- Correction or removal of information in the OSR
- Change of surname
- Continuing education records
The complete text of the OSR Guideline 2000 is available at www.edu.gov.on.ca.
Follow your board’s procedures regarding Ontario Student Records.
Develop the Documentation Habit
Written records must be specific; note the date, time, place and people involved.
Take care to be accurate, factual and objective.
The documentation is not complete until it is filed in the required manner.
Pupil Records: The Education Act
Section 265: Duties of Principal
(1) It is the duty of a principal of a school, in addition to the principal’s duties as a teacher,
(d) pupil records – in accordance with this Act, the regulations and the guidelines issued by
the Minister, to collect information for inclusion in a record in respect of each pupil enrolled
in the school and to establish, maintain, retain, transfer and dispose of the record.
Section 266: Pupil Records
(2) pupil records privileged – a record is privileged for the information and use of
supervisory officers and the principal and teachers of the school for the improvement of
the instruction of the pupil.
Before You Release Information
Determine whose consent is required – the student or the parent.