The OEB Annual Debate: This House believes the Collection, Storage and Use of Non-Essential Data on Students Should be Heavily Restricted

As educational institutions and EdTech companies increasingly rely on collecting, storing and using student data - from academic performance to personal information - are we truly enhancing educational outcomes, or are we sacrificing student privacy along the way?

With the rapid growth of online learning, vast amounts of sensitive data are being stored, often without clear guidelines and with minimal oversight. Are the potential risks of privacy breaches, misuse of personal information, and the erosion of student autonomy simply too high a price to pay for the promise of personalised learning?

Should outright restrictions be placed not only on non-essential data collection but also on the ways this information is stored and used? Or does the promise of data-driven education justify these risks?  Can even the strictest regulations and highest security standards genuinely make data handling safe, or is limiting data handling to only the most essential information the last viable solution? In our quest to improve education, are we willingly overlooking the long-term consequences for student autonomy and privacy?