G Suite for Education

At Ballycroneen National School we use G Suite for Education which is operated by Google, and we are seeking your permission to provide and manage a G Suite for Education account for your child(ren) from 4th to 6th classes. Students would use their G Suite for Education account for the following:

  • Login to their own account on Chromebooks/laptops/iPads: each child will have their own G Suite credentials (username and password) to allow them to access their own personal account on our school Chromebooks/laptops/iPads. This allows them to save their work to the cloud after each lesson making it accessible to them from other devices within the school. With these credentials they can also use other Google tools such as Google docs and Google Slides.

  • Digital portfolio: students will keep the same credentials for their time in Ballycroneen National School. This means that by the time they complete 6th class they will have a store of learning to look back on from their time in primary school.

  • Access Google Classroom: Google Classroom is a virtual learning space. This learning space would be led by the class teacher. Google Classroom allows the teacher to set activities for the class to work on either individually or collaboratively both in school and at home.

  • ​Learn 21st century digital citizenship skills: our aim is to provide students with the skills required to develop good digital citizenship.

Below you will find information provided by Google. It provides answers to common questions about what Google can and can’t do with your child’s personal information.

Please read it carefully, let us know of any questions, and then fill in our online form to indicate that you’ve read the notice and give your consent. If you don’t provide your consent, we will not create a G Suite for Education account for your child. Students who cannot use Google services will not be able to have their own profile on our Chromebooks/iPads/laptops and therefore will not be able to store their digital learning. Also, they will not be able to access their Google Classroom.


G Suite for Education Notice to Parents and Guardians

This notice describes the personal information we provide to Google for these accounts and how Google collects, uses, and discloses personal information from students in connection with these accounts.

Using their G Suite for Education accounts, students may access and use the following “Core Services” offered by Google (described at https://gsuite.google.com/terms/user_features.html):

  • Google+

  • Classroom

  • Cloud Search

  • Docs, Slides, Forms

  • Drive

  • Jamboard

  • Calendar

  • Drive

  • Maps

  • News

  • Translate

  • Google Earth

  • Tasks

Please note: Children will not have access to Google chat facilities.

Google provides information about the information it collects, as well as how it uses and discloses the information it collects from G Suite for Education accounts in its G Suite for Education Privacy Notice. You can read that notice online at https://gsuite.google.com/terms/education_privacy.html. You should review this information in its entirety, but below are answers to some common questions:

What information does Google collect?

When creating a student account, Ballycroneen National School may provide Google with certain information about the student, including, for example, a name, user name, and password. When user accounts are created, the user login name is also created, which appears like an email address (e.g billymurphy2020@ballycroneenns.ie). Please be aware that students will login to the G Suite platform using this username, but this will not give them access to a Gmail account unless otherwise notified.

When a student uses Google services, Google also collects information based on the use of those services. This includes:

  • device information, such as the hardware model, operating system version and unique device identifiers.

  • log information, including details of how a user used Google services, device event information, and the user's Internet protocol (IP) address.

  • location information, as determined by various technologies including IP address, GPS, and other sensors;

  • unique application numbers, such as application version number; and

  • cookies or similar technologies which are used to collect and store information about a browser or device, such as preferred language and other settings.


How does Google use this information?

In G Suite for Education Core Services, Google uses student information to provide, maintain, and protect the services. Google does not serve ads in the Core Services or use personal information collected in the Core Services for advertising purposes.

In Google Additional Services, Google uses the information collected from all Additional Services to provide, maintain, protect and improve them, to develop new ones, and to protect Google and its users. Google may also use this information to offer tailored content, such as more relevant search results. Google may combine information from one service with information, including information, from other Google services.


Does Google use student personal information for users in primary and secondary schools to target advertising?

No. For G Suite for Education users in primary and secondary schools, Google does not use any user information (or any information associated with an G Suite for Education Account) to target ads, whether in Core Services or in other Additional Services accessed while using an G Suite for Education account.


Can my child share information with others using the G Suite for Education account?

We may allow students to access Google services such as Google Docs and slides, which include features where users can share information with others. This will enable children to complete project work in groups.


Will Google disclose my child’s personal information?

Google will not share personal information with companies, organizations and individuals outside of Google unless one of the following circumstances applies:

  • With parental or guardian consent. Google will share personal information with companies, organizations or individuals outside of Google when it has parents’ consent (for users below the age of consent), which may be obtained through G Suite for Education schools.

  • With Ballycroneen National School G Suite for Education accounts, because they are school-managed accounts, give administrators access to information stored in them.

  • For external processing. Google may provide information to affiliates or other trusted businesses or persons to process it for Google, based on Google’s instructions and in compliance with the G Suite for Education privacy notice and any other appropriate confidentiality and security measures.

  • For legal reasons. Google will share information with companies, organizations or individuals outside of Google if it has a good-faith belief that access, use, preservation or disclosure of the information is reasonably necessary to:

    • meet any applicable law, regulation, legal process or enforceable governmental request.

    • enforce applicable Terms of Service, including investigation of potential violations.

    • detect, prevent, or otherwise address fraud, security or technical issues.

    • protect against harm to the rights, property or safety of Google, Google users or the public as required or permitted by law.

Google also shares non-personal information -- such as trends about the use of its services -- publicly and with its partners.

What choices do I have as a parent or guardian?

First, you can consent to the creation of a G Suite account for your child(ren). If you don’t provide your consent, we will not create a G Suite for Education account for your child, and Google will not collect or use your child’s information as described in this notice.

If you consent to your child’s use of G Suite for Education, you can access or request deletion of your child’s G Suite for Education account by contacting the school office. If you wish to stop any further collection or use of your child's information, you can request that we use the service controls available to limit your child’s access to features or services, or delete your child’s account entirely. You and your child can also visit https://myaccount.google.com while signed in to the G Suite for Education account to view and manage the personal information and settings of the account.

What if I have more questions or would like to read further?

If you have questions about our use of Google’s G Suite for Education accounts or the choices available to you, please contact our school office. If you want to learn more about how Google collects, uses, and discloses personal information to provide services to us, please review the G Suite for Education Privacy Center the G Suite for Education Privacy Notice and the Google Privacy Policy.

The Core G Suite for Education services are provided to us under Google’s Apps for Education agreement.