Commissioner for Information and Personal Data Protection has in the letter to the Minister of Education and Science warned about open issues regarding personal data protection for the needs of establishing  „Unique Information System in Elementary and Secondary Education in the Republic of Serbia“.

Pointing out that this is about potentially huge personal data base, the Commissioner warned that from the standpoint of constitutionally guaranteed protection of those data, it is very bad and risky to form this database on disputable legal foundation, that is, without it.

In relation to that, the Commissioner, Rodoljub Sabic also stated:

„These days parents are intensively contacting the Commissioner, dissatisfied with the method and scope of collecting personal data, enforced on them by the schools their children attend.

In relation to that, I hereby remind that Article 42 of the Constitution of the Republic of Serbia guarantees personal data protection and it also strictly determines that collection, holding, processing and use of personal data shall be regulated by the law.

Starting from the quoted provision, and I have even earlier warned the authorities of the fact that there is not, and that strict legal base should be secured for personal data processing, as provided in the „Unique Information System in Elementary and Secondary Education in the Republic of Serbia“. This even more so, because besides the big number of data on pupils, also collected are numerous and different data about parents. Including some delicate, that is, according to the law, especially sensitive ones, like for instance, nationality, marital or social status.

It is especially worrisome that some parents point out that due to their reactions, refusal to give data or requests to explain what is the basis and the reason for their collection, they have been warned of facing potential unpleasantness by their children. It is redundant to stress why is something like that absolutely unacceptable.

In case of the „Unique Information System in Elementary and Secondary Education in the Republic of Serbia“, judging by the logic of events, this is a huge personal data base, so this is a problem we can not underestimate. Therefore I have proposed to Minister Obradovic to meet him as soon as possible in order to undertake steps for its resolving.