Privacy at school, from classroom essays to artificial intelligence

As millions of students return to school, privacy protection is becoming a daily challenge. Electronic registers, class chats, smartphones, artificial intelligence tools and online platforms have made personal-data safeguards a central concern for schools and families.

The 2025 edition of “School Privacy-Proof,” a guide prepared by Italy’s data-protection authority, sets out advice for school leaders, teachers, students and parents. It says teachers may assign work about students’ personal or family lives, but they must show particular care when topics involve sensitive private matters. The child’s interests must come first, and assignments should not expose personal or family information in the classroom.

Exam and assessment results may be communicated through the channels allowed by school rules. Individual subject grades should remain accessible only to the student and family through the restricted section of the electronic register. Publishing results online remains prohibited because the information could stay on the internet indefinitely and compromise students’ privacy.

Smartphones and tablets remain subject to Education Ministry restrictions and school rules. Students and staff must inform people concerned and obtain their consent before distributing images, audio or video. The guide calls for particular caution when sharing material on social networks or messaging systems.

Artificial intelligence can support learning and school administration, but only with adequate safeguards. The guidance rejects especially invasive practices, including emotion recognition, and recommends limiting the processing of students’ and teachers’ personal data. Where possible, schools should use synthetic data and privacy-conscious solutions. Parent- and student-created WhatsApp groups are not official school activities, but they still fall under data-protection rules. For official notices, the authority recommends dedicated tools such as the electronic register.