Request for authorization needed by parent to photocopy a corrected written math test
So I’ve actually sort of known about this but never really got into it.
The situation is the following. My son got a failing grade in a written Math test. We’ve seen the grade on line and tomorrow the teacher will return the tests, but just for them to look at briefly. Then she recollects them and they get archived. The only way to figure out what you did wrong and understand your shortcomings so you can improve is by seeing what you did wrong on the test. How can they see that in a mere 10 minutes. So I want him to take it home, or at least a copy or even just a picture of it, the way they do it nowadays with smartphones.
But you can’t just do that: written tests are considered “administrative deeds” owned by the school and therefore the original or copy of it cannot be given to anyone without the school’s authorisation.
So for my son to make a photocopy tomorrow so we can go through the test together tomorrow evening I need to give him a note asking for authorisation to take a picture/copy. And this only counts for this one time. Often students don’t know when they’ll get a written test back – temporarily! I hope we won’t need to go through any other failed tests, but at this point I probably should just write up some blank requests for authorisation where he can fill in the date, the date of the test and the subject.
I’m just thinking: WHAT IS WRONG WITH THIS COUNTRY AND FAILING SHCOOL SYSTEM. Yes, I’m screaming!!!
Below is an example of a school regulation (in Italian) which spells out this situation
1. Compiti in classe, verifiche, ecc. sono “atti amministrativi” della scuola, atti in base ai quali i docenti documentano e formulano le loro valutazioni sull’apprendimento degli alunni.
È considerato, infatti, documento amministrativo ogni rappresentazione grafica, fotocinematografica, elettromagnetica, cartacea o di qualunque altra specie del contenuto di atti, anche interni, o comunque utilizzati ai fini dell’attività amministrativa e didattico-valutativa ovvero, nella questione in discussione,:
– compiti in classe di tipo non strutturato;
– prove strutturate;
– relazioni scrittografiche;
– registro personale del professore;
– registro generale di classe.
2. In base alla normativa sulla sicurezza dei dati (privacy), D. Lgs. 196/2003, titolare di tutti gli atti e i documenti della scuola è il Dirigente Scolastico: nessun atto può essere dato in originale o in copia senza la sua autorizzazione.
3. La normativa riguardante la trasparenza e il conseguente diritto di accesso agli atti da parte di cittadini verso la Pubblica Amministrazione, L. 241/1990, sancisce sicuramente la legittimità della richiesta dei genitori di poter visionare compiti e verifiche e di richiederne copia.
