Introduction

This Privacy Policy governs the use of data collected by our website skoolsy.com and our apps – Skoolsy Family, Skoolsy Educator, and Skoolsy Student (hereafter, collectively referred to as “the Service”, “Skoolsy”, or “the Skoolsy Service”).

By using Skoolsy, you are agreeing to this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please refrain from using Skoolsy. You can contact us anytime with queries about this Privacy Policy at sales@skoolsy.com.

Definitions

“Profile”
This includes personally identifiable information that we collect when you create an account. This may include First Name, Last Name, Email, and Phone Number of the user.

“Class Journal”
This includes all the content added to the class journal.

“Academic Plans”
This includes the Programme of Inquiry, Unit Plans, Learning Experiences, Assessments, Schedule, Reflections created by the teachers using the planning elements on Skoolsy. The external resources added by the teacher are not included in this.

“Messages”
This includes the messages sent via Skoolsy – both from parents to teachers and vice-versa.

“Student Portfolio”
This includes all the content added to a specific student’s portfolio.

“Student Data”
Any data collected by Skoolsy that can be linked back to an individual student. This contains name, age, Email ID, name of parents, school name, and the assessment data.

“Skoolsy Resource Bank”
A collection of all the Academic Plans created by teachers. By default, the Academic Plans are private to the school.

“Insights”
Skoolsy analyses the data collected from the teachers and students and converts them into actionable points to support teachers in teaching and learning. This set of actionable data-points is collectively referred to as Insights.

“Large Language Models (LLMs)”
Refers to advanced artificial intelligence models designed to process and analyze natural language data on a vast scale. These models possess significant computational power and have been trained on extensive datasets to understand and generate human-like language patterns, responses, and context.

“Data Controller/Data Fiduciary”
The Data Controller/Data Fiduciary is the entity that decides why and how information is used in Skoolsy. In most cases, this will be a School.

“Data Subject/Data Principal”
The Data Subject/Data Principal is the individual (teacher, student, parent) to whom the personal data belongs. These individuals have rights over their data, such as seeing it, correcting it, or deleting it.

“Data Processor”
Skoolsy as a Data Processor stores and manages information according to the instructions given by the Data Controller/Data Fiduciary.

Data Deletion Requests

If you are a parent using the Skoolsy Parent app and would like to delete your account or your child’s data, please email us at sales@skoolsy.com or submit a request via our Contact Us page.

As Skoolsy is a school-managed platform, we will coordinate with your child’s school to process your request in compliance with data protection laws such as FERPA, GDPR, CCPA, and DPDPA.

What is Skoolsy?

Skoolsy is a one-stop solution for educators that seamlessly integrates curriculum planning, portfolios, evidence collection, progress reports, and communication. Skoolsy has a web end as well as a mobile end. The Skoolsy platform has 4 different types of users – Teachers, Students, Parents, and School Administrators. Below is a brief summary of what each type of user can use the platform for:

Teachers: Teachers use Skoolsy for planning (Unit Plans, Lesson Plans, etc.), for collecting evidence of learning, for continuous reflection, for assessment evaluation, and for contributing to student portfolios.

Students: Students use Skoolsy to document their learning journeys, set their personalized goals, receive and self-evaluate assessments, and add work to their portfolios.

Parents: Parents are linked to individual students and can see their portfolios. Parents also get access to the school calendar, school news, and school policies through the Skoolsy Family app. The app can also be used for communicating with teachers.

Administrators: Administrators can edit and approve all the academic plans, add, delete, and edit the rights of other users from their organization. They can also see insights for better program implementation.

Skoolsy and Privacy Certifications

Skoolsy is certified under ISO/IEC 27701, an international standard for privacy information management. This certification builds on our ISO/IEC 27001 certification and reflects our commitment to implementing structured and effective privacy and data protection practices.

Skoolsy participates in the iKeepSafe Safe Harbor program. If you have any questions or need to address concerns related to our privacy policy and practices, please contact the iKeepSafe Safe Harbor program at COPPAprivacy@usa.com.

Compliance with Data Protection Regulations

Compliance with FERPA

Skoolsy partners with and is certified by iKeepSafe for compliance with the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA).

FERPA governs the terms to protect personally identifiable information (PII) of students. Data collected by Skoolsy may include personally identifiable information from “education records” (Education Records in FERPA refers to documents, digital or otherwise, that may contain information related to a student and maintained by an educational agency).

Under this Privacy Policy, you designate Skoolsy as a service provider. Skoolsy agrees to comply with FERPA. You can find more details on Skoolsy.com and FERPA at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/ferpa.

Compliance with COPPA

Skoolsy partners with and is certified by iKeepSafe for compliance with the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA).

As a third-party operator, Skoolsy relies on School Consent for all underage children under COPPA. Skoolsy is responsible for compliance under the FERPA regulations as it relates to schools. If you are a school or teacher and would like to obtain direct parental consent from the parent, Skoolsy has provided a consent form which can be downloaded from our website. We do not encourage children to share their work publicly. We continuously review and update our practices to ensure compliance with COPPA requirements. You can find more details on Skoolsy and COPPA at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/coppa.

Compliance with GDPR

Skoolsy collects minimal information from you and only uses it for the purposes explicitly called out in the Privacy Policy. The data collected is stored securely using industry standards. All the details with regards to the nature of the data collected and the reason for collecting it can be found in the Privacy Policy. Skoolsy executes a Data Processing Agreement with all the schools in the EU/EEA and Switzerland Regions. You can find more details on Skoolsy and GDPR at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/gdpr.

Compliance with California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)

As a service provider, Skoolsy is dedicated to complying with the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA). We provide California residents with clear rights regarding their personal data. These include the right to access, delete, and manage their personal information, with a guarantee of non-discriminatory service when exercising these rights. Learn more about Skoolsy’s compliance with the CCPA at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/ccpa.

Compliance with DPDPA

We are committed to complying with the Digital Personal Data Protection Act, 2023 (DPDPA), a comprehensive legislation that governs the collection, use, storage, and disclosure of personal data in India.

To ensure compliance with DPDPA, we have implemented robust data security practices and procedures. We only collect minimal data necessary for our services and store it securely using industry-standard measures. Our Privacy Policy outlines what data we collect and how we use it. Additionally, we have established transparent data governance processes to ensure responsible data handling. Learn more about Skoolsy and DPDPA at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/dpdpa.

Compliance with Australian Privacy Principles

Skoolsy is committed to maintaining the highest standards of privacy protection and complying with the Australian Privacy Principles (APPs) set out in the Privacy Act 1988. We only gather and handle personal information when necessary for delivering our services, subject to your explicit consent. Your data is securely stored using industry-standard methods, and we are open about how we collect, use, and disclose it as outlined in our Privacy Policy. More details about our conformity with the APPs can be found at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/apps.

Compliance with KSA’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)

At Skoolsy, we are dedicated to ensuring that your personal data is handled with the utmost care and in accordance with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL). Our approach to data protection is guided by the principles and rights outlined in PDPL, ensuring transparency, security, and respect for your personal information. Learn more about Skoolsy and KSA PDPL at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/pdpl.

Compliance with PDPO (Hong Kong)

Skoolsy upholds the highest standards of data protection as outlined in Hong Kong’s Personal Data (Privacy) Ordinance (PDPO). We collect only the minimal personal information required to deliver our services, and we secure all collected data using best-in-class encryption and storage practices. Details regarding the types of data collected, purposes for collection, and associated retention periods are transparently outlined in our Privacy Policy.

Skoolsy also respects individuals’ rights under the PDPO, including the right to request access to or correction of personal data. If you have any questions or wish to exercise your rights, please contact us at sales@skoolsy.com. Learn more about our commitment to PDPO compliance at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/pdpo.

Compliance with UAE’s Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL)

Skoolsy is committed to protecting the privacy of students, educators, and families. For schools based in the United Arab Emirates, Skoolsy ensures full compliance with the UAE Personal Data Protection Law (PDPL), Federal Decree-Law No. 45 of 2021.

Skoolsy acts as a data processor and processes personal data solely on behalf of schools, which serve as data controllers under the PDPL. You can find detailed information on how Skoolsy meets the obligations outlined in the law, with a focus on security, accountability, and transparency, at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/uae-pdpl.

Data Collected by Skoolsy

Data Received from Schools and Platform Users

Skoolsy collects only the information necessary to provide and support our educational services. This includes data related to teachers, students, parents, and school administrators, as shared by the school. De-identified or pseudonymized user information is also acceptable and encouraged where feasible, as it helps reduce privacy risks.

The school determines what data is shared with Skoolsy and how it is used. We do not access, use, or share this data for any purpose other than to deliver our services, comply with legal obligations, or act on the school’s documented instructions. If you have questions about how your information is used within the Skoolsy platform, please contact your school directly.

Data Collected Through Skoolsy’s Website and Forms

When you visit the Skoolsy website (skoolsy.com), we may collect personal information such as your name, email address, role, and school name if you choose to sign up for a demo, download a resource, or submit a form.

We also collect technical information, including IP addresses, browser types, and pages visited, through the use of cookies and analytics tools. This data helps us understand website usage and improve the overall user experience. Where required by law, we seek your consent before placing cookies. For more information, please refer to our Cookie Policy at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/cookie-policy.

Below is a list of data that we collect from our different users and how we refer to it:

• Profile: This includes personally identifiable information that we collect when you create an account. This may include First Name, Last Name, Email, and Phone Number of the user.
• Class Journal: This includes all the content added to the class journal.
• Academic Plans: This includes the Programme of Inquiry, Unit Plans, Learning Experiences, Schedule, Reflections created by the teachers using all the planning elements as specified in the customizable templates. The external resources added by the teacher are not included in this.
• Messages: This includes the messages sent via Skoolsy – both from parents to teachers and vice-versa.
• Student Portfolio: This includes all the content added to a specific student’s portfolio – photos, videos, notes, comments, etc.
• Student Data: Any data collected by us that can be linked back to an individual student. This contains name, age, Email ID, name of parents, and the school name.
• Log Data: We collect log data such as your IP address, browser type, device type, operating system, and your mobile carrier. Additionally, we also use cookies to keep you logged into your system to improve your user experience.

Mobile Applications

When using our mobile application, Skoolsy may access features such as the camera, music, album/gallery, and accelerometer on your device to provide the desired services. For example, when you use the portfolio, scan QR code, or add student functions to shoot in real-time; when you use profile settings and upload portfolio photos/videos; or when you use portfolio recording to capture voice input through the microphone. If you do not turn on permissions, you will not be able to use the specific functions related to those permissions, but this will not affect your use of other services provided by the Skoolsy App.

Why Do We Collect This Data?

We use the collected data only to provide services to you as described in this Privacy Policy and as authorized by your school. This applies to data collected through the Skoolsy platform as well as information shared when you visit our website or fill out a form.

Where Do We Store the Data?

Our data is hosted on Amazon Web Services (AWS) servers.

• For our users in Europe, we store the data in servers in Ireland to ensure compliance with GDPR.
• For our users in Australia, we store the data in servers in Sydney to ensure compliance with APPs.
• For our users in Hong Kong, we store the data in servers in Hong Kong to ensure compliance with PDPO.
• For users in other regions, they can opt for data storage in any of the following locations: Australia, Ireland, Singapore, United Arab Emirates, and the United States of America.

What Is the Data NOT Collected For?

• We do not allow advertising or sharing data for advertising for any data collected through the Skoolsy website (skoolsy.com) or our apps.
• We never display ads, share data for the purpose of displaying ads, or allow data collection by advertisers or data brokers on the Skoolsy website (skoolsy.com) or our apps.
• We never sell data to anyone for any purposes.
• We never allow profiling of our users for targeted online ads on the Skoolsy website (skoolsy.com) or our apps.
• We do not use educational data for profiling, algorithmic decision-making, or any commercial purpose unrelated to the provision of educational services.

How Consent Is Managed

Skoolsy processes personal data in different contexts, depending on how individuals interact with our services.

Use of Skoolsy by Schools

When schools use Skoolsy, they are the primary entities responsible for deciding why and how personal data is processed. The legal term for this role may vary depending on the jurisdiction. For example, it may be called a Data Controller under the GDPR in the European Union, a Data Fiduciary under India’s DPDPA, an Organization under Canada’s PIPEDA, or an APP Entity under Australia’s Privacy Act 1988. Regardless of the terminology, the responsibilities are similar.

Responsibilities of Schools include:

• Obtaining parental consent for students who are below the minimum age required under local laws. For example, this is typically under 13 years of age in the United States.
• Securing consent from students above the minimum age, where required by law.
• Providing appropriate notices or obtaining consent from other user groups such as teachers or parents, if legally necessary.

Skoolsy does not collect these consents directly. As a service provider and data processor, Skoolsy relies on schools to ensure that all required consents have been obtained in line with applicable data protection laws and regulations.

Schools can download a sample of the Parental Consent form from https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/parental-consent.

Direct Interactions with Skoolsy

When individuals submit personal information directly to Skoolsy, such as by visiting our website, registering for a webinar, subscribing to a newsletter, or completing a form, Skoolsy determines the purpose for which the data is collected. In these cases, we may request explicit consent or rely on other lawful bases such as legitimate interest or the performance of a contract, depending on the nature of the interaction.

You may withdraw your consent at any time by contacting sales@skoolsy.com. For more details, please refer to our Cookie Policy at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/cookie-policy.

If you believe personal data has been shared with Skoolsy without the appropriate consent or legal basis, please contact us immediately.

Your Rights Over Your Data

Depending on the country or region you are located in, you may have certain rights under applicable data protection laws. While the exact scope of these rights can vary, they commonly include the right to:

• Be informed about how your personal data is collected, used, and shared.
• Access your personal data.
• Correct or update inaccurate or incomplete personal data.
• Request deletion of your personal data under certain conditions.
• Restrict or limit the use of your personal data in some cases.
• Object to certain types of data use, such as direct marketing.
• Withdraw consent where data is processed based on consent.
• Receive your data in a portable format, where applicable.
• Appoint someone to act on your behalf, if permitted by local law.

To exercise any of these rights, you can contact us at sales@skoolsy.com. We will respond in accordance with the applicable data protection law in your region.

If you are a parent or legal guardian seeking to exercise data rights on behalf of your child, or if you are a student, teacher, school staff member, or parent whose personal data has been shared with Skoolsy by a school, please note that any requests related to access, correction, deletion, or withdrawal of consent must be directed to the school. Since the school acts as the data controller, Skoolsy cannot act on such requests directly, but we will support the school in responding to and fulfilling these requests as required under applicable law.

Data Retention

Skoolsy will retain your information for 7 years or as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes outlined in its Privacy Policy. Data that Skoolsy processes on behalf of its customers will be retained under Skoolsy’s Terms of Service, Skoolsy’s Data Processing Agreement, as mandated by law, and any other relevant agreements. Before deleting your data, Skoolsy will send out 3 reminders to you.

When Does Skoolsy Share Data with Third Parties?

We use a few third-party services in order to operate and improve Skoolsy. All these services are contractually prohibited from using that information for any other purpose other than to provide the Skoolsy service. You can find a list of our third-party service providers at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/third-party-providers.

In case of the sale, merger, bankruptcy, sale of assets, or reorganization of our company, we may disclose or transfer your data. We will notify you of the same, and the terms of this Privacy Policy will apply to your data when transferred to the new entity.

Skoolsy will not disclose personal data in response to law enforcement or legal demands unless legally required and, where feasible, the school will be notified unless prohibited by law.

Third-Party Analytics

In order to improve your experience with Skoolsy, we collect and use aggregate data about usage patterns of how you use Skoolsy – for example, how you interact with various features on a page, the buttons that you click, the time that you spend on a page, etc. This is done to streamline existing user experience and to provide you a better experience of using Skoolsy.

We use a small number of third-party services to collect and analyze this data (such as Google Analytics, Sentry). These services are contractually obligated only to use data about your usage of Skoolsy to provide analytics services to us and are prohibited from sharing it or using it for other purposes. You can find details of all the third-party analytics services that we use at https://www.skoolsy.com/legal/third-party-analytics.

Skoolsy’s Use of AI

This section explains how we collect, use, disclose, and protect your information when using Skoolsy AI’s services. Please read this section carefully to understand how we handle your data. Kindly note that this section is only applicable if your school has subscribed to using Skoolsy AI. By accessing or using Skoolsy AI’s services, you agree to the practices described in this section:

Information Collection and Use

1.1. Pseudonymized Data: Skoolsy AI uses pseudonymized data collected from schools as context for prompts to third-party Large Language Models (LLMs). This data does not contain any personally identifiable information (PII) and is scrubbed of any identifiable details that could be used to trace back to specific individuals. The data shared is limited to what is necessary for the AI to provide useful responses within each module.

The LLMs currently in use and their purposes are as follows:

• GPT-4o is used in modules that support lesson planning and worksheet generation.
• Claude 3.5 Sonnet is used in modules that support progress report writing, communication drafting, portfolio captions, announcements, behavior documentation, and AI tutor conversations involving chat interactions.
• Whisper is used for speech-to-text functionality within the AI tutor.
• TTS-1 is used for text-to-speech functionality in the AI tutor to provide spoken responses.

1.2. LLMs Responses: The responses from LLMs are generated based on patterns learned from the pseudonymized data and do not contain any specific information about individual users or any other identifiable parties.

Data Security

Skoolsy AI takes the security of the data seriously. We implement industry-standard measures to protect the confidentiality and integrity of the data we collect and process. Access to the LLMs and the pseudonymized data is restricted to authorized personnel only, and we follow the principle of least privilege.

Data Retention

The pseudonymized data collected from schools may be retained for as long as necessary to maintain the effectiveness of the LLMs and the quality of the services.

Third-Party Disclosure

Skoolsy AI does not share any personally identifiable information (PII) with the LLMs or any third parties. The LLMs operate solely on pseudonymized and non-identifiable data.

Compliance with Laws

Skoolsy AI complies with applicable data protection laws and regulations. We are committed to maintaining the privacy and security of the data we handle.

Updates to this Policy

Skoolsy AI may update this policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for other operational, legal, or regulatory reasons. We will provide prominent notice of any material changes to this policy on our website or through other means.

Contact Information

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this policy or Skoolsy AI’s use of LLMs, please contact us at sales@skoolsy.com.

Use of Cookies and Advertising

We use Cookies and other similar services (such as Local Storage) to keep you logged in to Skoolsy, customize your Skoolsy experience, understand how you use Skoolsy, and promote Skoolsy to relevant teachers and schools. On the Skoolsy Website (skoolsy.com), we also use analytics tools to understand how visitors, including those who may be directed from our apps, use our website. Information collected through these tools may be shared with analytics providers. We do not use these technologies on our website (skoolsy.com) or our apps for advertising or marketing purposes, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without verifiable parental consent.

You can remove or disable cookies via your browser settings, in which case your experience with Skoolsy will not be optimal.

Viewing, Editing, or Porting Your Information

Parents are encouraged to work directly with teachers and schools to make any changes to their data. If, however, you need to get in touch with us, you can write to sales@skoolsy.com, and we will work with the school and do our best to make the required changes.

Teachers, administrators, and parents can directly edit their information in their Skoolsy profiles. Schools also have a right to use any other similar service and can place a request to get all of their data. We will do our best to comply with such requests. Once the pending request is processed, the data retention and deletion policies will be followed.

Deleting Skoolsy Account

You have the right to “forgetability”, i.e., we will remove all your information from our systems if you so wish. If you would like to delete your Skoolsy account or any content submitted to Skoolsy, please send an email to sales@skoolsy.com. We will notify you by email before deleting your account from our database. After receiving your request, we may still retain information for up to 365 days to provide customer support and prevent accidental deletion.

For users in the USA, please note that to comply with FERPA, we may need to retain certain student education records once a valid request to inspect those records has been made, and we may retain your data to comply with FERPA requirements.

Data Protection Practices

Skoolsy is committed to maintaining the security and confidentiality of your data and adheres to leading industry standards, including ISO/IEC 27001, ISO/IEC 27017, ISO/IEC 27018, ISO/IEC 27701, and SOC 2 Type II.

Our security measures include:

• Hosting data in secure, access-controlled data centers.
• Implementing encryption in transit (TLS 1.2 or higher) and encryption at rest (AES-256).
• Applying role-based access controls (RBAC) and least privilege principles.
• Regular audits, vulnerability assessments, and penetration tests.
• Continuous monitoring and logging to detect suspicious activity.

Despite these measures, in the event of a security breach, we will notify affected account holders within the amount of time required by the local law or by Skoolsy’s internal data breach policy, whichever is more stringent, so that you can take steps to keep your data safe.

Changes to the Privacy Policy

We may from time to time make changes to this Privacy Policy to account for changes to our practices or applicable law. If we make changes to this Privacy Policy that we believe will materially affect your rights, we will notify you by email at least 30 days in advance about these changes. If you continue to use our service after you receive notice of changes to this Privacy Policy, we will assume that you have accepted these changes.

For previous versions of the Privacy Policy, please reach out to us at sales@skoolsy.com.

Contact Information

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please feel free to write to us at: sales@skoolsy.com, or contact us at:

• UAE: +971559820488
• India: +91 83283 17811

We will reach out to you as soon as possible.