Protection of personal data in education - actions of the Polish SA and the Ministry of Education

As a result of actions taken to increase awareness of personal data protection, content on this topic will be expanded in the core curricula of school education. The Ministry of Education, taking into account the importance of privacy protection and secure data processing, has introduced new regulations that will provide young people with better preparation for conscious functioning in the digital world.

According to information provided by the Ministry of Education, from September 1, 2025, students will gain knowledge on personal data protection not only within the subjects of computer science and ethics, but also in civic education and health education. This is an important step that will allow young people to better understand issues related to privacy protection, responsible processing of personal data, as well as safe use of digital technologies.

Protection of children's data - a key aspect of digital education

President of the Personal Data Protection Office Mirosław Wróblewski, in his opinion on the draft regulation, the Minister of Education, drew attention to the need to include in school education issues related to the protection of children's personal data, especially those related to health. Health data is a sensitive data category and requires special protection, and children may be less aware of the risks associated with their processing. In the face of the growing activity of young people on the Internet and new threats, such as profiling, selling data, cyberbullying or sexting. Education in this area is becoming essential. Introducing personal data protection to the core curriculum of health and civic education is an important step in building awareness of privacy and digital security. The Personal Data Protection Office emphasizes that education in this area will allow students to protect their data more effectively, recognize threats and consciously use digital tools.

Guide "Children's image on the Internet. Publish or not?"

One of the important educational activities undertaken by the Personal Data Protection Office in cooperation with the Orange Foundation is the publication of a guide entitled "Children's image on the Internet. Publish or not?". This publication is a valuable source of knowledge for parents, teachers and guardians on the subject of responsible sharing of photos and information about children in the digital space. The guide emphasizes the risks associated with publishing children's images and indicates how to take care of their privacy and security on the Internet.

Long-term cooperation in education on data protection

It is worth emphasizing that the Ministry of Education has been supporting educational activities in this area for many years, being the patron of the “Your data – Your concern” program implemented by the Personal Data Protection Office. For 15 years, this program has been helping teachers and students gain practical knowledge on the protection of personal data and safe functioning in the digital world.

Acknowledgements to the Ministry of Education

“On behalf of myself and the Personal Data Protection Office, I would like to thank the Ministry of Education for taking into account the postulates regarding the protection of personal data in the education process and for the good cooperation in this matter. This is an important step on the way to increasing the awareness of the young generation about their rights and obligations in the field of privacy protection” – Mirosław Wróblewski, President of the Personal Data Protection Office.

The Personal Data Protection Office will continue to support educational initiatives and conduct activities aimed at building a culture of personal data protection among students, teachers and parents. Concern for children's rights to privacy and protection of their personal data remains one of the key priorities of the Personal Data Protection Office.