Policies
Privacy Policy
School of the Arts, Singapore (SOTA) is committed to protecting the privacy of students, parents, and others who use our online and education-related services (the “Services”).
SOTA is subject to a variety of legal requirements, which affect how we treat your personal data, personal information and respect your privacy. This Privacy Policy describes how your personal data and information may be collected through our Services and how it is used, disclosed and transferred.
- General
- This Policy statement provides information on the obligations and policies of SOTA in respect of an individual’s Personal Data. SOTA undertakes to use reasonable efforts in applying, where practicable, those principles and the processes set out herein to its operations.
- SOTA’s officers, management, and members of staff shall use reasonable endeavours to respect the confidentiality of and keep safe any and all Personal Data collected and/or stored and/or disclosed and/or used for, or on behalf of, SOTA. SOTA shall use reasonable endeavours to ensure that all collection and/or storage and/or disclosure and/or usage of Personal Data by SOTA shall be done in an appropriate manner and in accordance with the Act and this Policy.
- By interacting with us, submitting information to us, enrolling with us, enrolling your child/ward with us, or signing up for any services offered by us, you agree and consent to SOTA collecting, using, disclosing and sharing amongst ourselves your Personal Data, and disclosing such Personal Data to SOTA’s authorised service providers and relevant third parties in the manner set forth in this Privacy Statement.
- This Policy supplements but does not supersede nor replace any other consents you may have previously provided to us in respect of your Personal Data, and your consents herein are additional to any rights which we may have at law to collect, use or disclose your Personal Data.
- For the purposes of this Policy, in line with the provisions under the Singapore Personal Data Protection Act 2012 (the “Act”), “Personal Data” shall mean data, whether true or not, about an individual who can be identified — from that data; or from that data and other information which an organisation has or is likely to have access. Such Personal Data shall also refer to that which is already in the possession of SOTA or that which shall be collected by SOTA in future.
- This Policy statement provides information on the obligations and policies of SOTA in respect of an individual’s Personal Data. SOTA undertakes to use reasonable efforts in applying, where practicable, those principles and the processes set out herein to its operations.
- Collection and Use of Personal Data
- “Personal data” is any data or information that personally identifies a person or that, together with any other available data, makes any person identifiable to another. As part of its day-to-day activity, SOTA may collect from you, personal data which may include, without limitation, your statutory name, NRIC/BC/FIN and/or passport number, passport expiry date, postal address, contact numbers, email address, bank account/credit card details, personal data of your emergency contacts, employment details, IRAS and salary details, photographs, videos and images.
- Your personal data may be collected, processed and/or stored by SOTA for the following purposes:
- Enrolment in SOTA and processing of enrolment;
- Scheme reviews;
- Insurance claims for students;
- Application of student passes;
- Organising of overseas trips;
- Assessing suitability for enrolment and talent;
- Collection of school fees;
- Review of applications for financial assistance and scholarship;
- Assessing suitability for Junior Academy;
- Conducting of health checks;
- Processing letter of candidature and/or National Service deferment and/or Visa applications;
- Security purposes (e.g. surveillance cameras);
- Audit purposes and submission to IRAS for tax deduction
- Finance and procurement procedures
- Sending of online consent forms;
- Dissemination of information and news relating to SOTA;
- Providing of access to e-learning and admin portal;
- Registration for International Baccalaureate (IB) examinations and assessments;
- Uploading of coursework to the IB;
- Application to Institutes of Higher Learning
- Payment and/or credit control purposes;
- Notification of any changes to our policies or services which may affect you;
- Responding to your queries and feedback;
- Maintaining and updating your details;
- Providing you with personalized services;
- Improving your experience with us;
- Developing publicity/ marketing materials for school;
- Sending of publicity materials for school events and activities;
- Informing you of new developments, services and news of SOTA and other third parties which we are associated with.
- Photographs or video images of you may be taken during school activities and events such as classroom lessons, school camps, or school concerts. The school may use and publish such photographs or video recordings in school publications, the school’s website, social media channels, or other communication channels.
- “Personal data” is any data or information that personally identifies a person or that, together with any other available data, makes any person identifiable to another. As part of its day-to-day activity, SOTA may collect from you, personal data which may include, without limitation, your statutory name, NRIC/BC/FIN and/or passport number, passport expiry date, postal address, contact numbers, email address, bank account/credit card details, personal data of your emergency contacts, employment details, IRAS and salary details, photographs, videos and images.
- Disclosure of Personal Data
- SOTA may disclose your Personal Data in accordance with legal or regulatory obligations that may be required by the Singapore law or that may have been put in place by us.
- SOTA may also disclose your Personal Data in the occurrence of any of the following events:
- To the extent that SOTA is required to do so by the law;
- In connection with any legal proceedings or prospective legal proceedings;
- To establish, exercise or defend SOTA’s legal rights;
- To any person and/or entity for the purpose of processing such information on SOTA’s behalf;
- To third parties who provide services to SOTA or on its behalf;
- With your consent; and
- For the purposes of disaster recovery.
Your Personal Data may be processed by SOTA and IB, in jurisdictions outside of Singapore. In this event, SOTA will comply with the terms of the Act.
- SOTA may disclose your Personal Data in accordance with legal or regulatory obligations that may be required by the Singapore law or that may have been put in place by us.
- Data Protection and Storage
- Where possible, SOTA will validate data provided using generally accepted practices and guidelines. This includes the use of check sum verification on some numeric fields such as account numbers or credit card numbers. In some instances, SOTA is able to validate the data provided against pre-existing data held by SOTA. In some cases, SOTA is required to see original documentation before we may use the Personal Data such as with Personal Identifiers and/or proof of address. To assist in ensuring the accuracy of your Personal Data in the possession of SOTA, please inform us of any updates of any parts of your Personal Data by sending a clearly worded email to the Data Protection Officer via DPO@sota.edu.sg.
- SOTA uses commercially reasonable physical, managerial, and technical safeguards to preserve the integrity and security of your Personal Data and will not knowingly allow access to this data to anyone outside SOTA, other than to you or as described in this Policy. However, SOTA cannot ensure or warrant the security of any information you transmit to SOTA and you do so entirely at your own risk. In particular, SOTA does not warrant that such information may not be accessed, altered, collected, copied, destroyed, disposed of, disclosed or modified by breach of any of SOTA’s physical, technical, or managerial safeguards.
- SOTA will delete, as reasonably possible, or otherwise anonymise any Personal Data in the event that the Personal Data is not required for any reasonable business or legal purposes of SOTA and where the Personal Data is deleted from SOTA’s electronic, manual, and other filing systems in accordance with SOTA’s internal procedures and/or other agreements.
- SOTA uses cookies on our websites to track website visitorship and experience. Most web browsers are designed to accept cookies. If you do not wish to receive any cookies, you may set your browser to refuse it.
- SOTA’s officers, management, and members of staff shall use reasonable endeavours to respect the confidentiality of and keep safe any and all Personal Data collected and/or stored and/or disclosed and/or used for, or on behalf of SOTA. SOTA shall use reasonable endeavours to ensure that all collection and/or storage and/or disclosure and/or usage of Personal Data by SOTA shall be done in an appropriate manner and in accordance with the Act and this Policy.
- Where possible, SOTA will validate data provided using generally accepted practices and guidelines. This includes the use of check sum verification on some numeric fields such as account numbers or credit card numbers. In some instances, SOTA is able to validate the data provided against pre-existing data held by SOTA. In some cases, SOTA is required to see original documentation before we may use the Personal Data such as with Personal Identifiers and/or proof of address. To assist in ensuring the accuracy of your Personal Data in the possession of SOTA, please inform us of any updates of any parts of your Personal Data by sending a clearly worded email to the Data Protection Officer via DPO@sota.edu.sg.
- Access, Update, Correction and Withdrawal of Personal Data
- You have the right to request access to, update and/or correct your child’s /children’s and/or your personal data held by us. If you wish to do so, please contact our Data Protection Officer via DPO@sota.edu.sg and provide details of your access, update and/or correction request.
- You may withdraw your consent given, whether in part or as a whole. Should you wish to withdraw your consent in part of whole, please send an email to our Data Protection Officer at DPO@sota.edu.sg and provide details of your withdrawal request.
- SOTA reserves the right to charge a reasonable administrative fee in order to meet your requests under Clause 5.a. Upon payment of the requisite fee and/or receipt of your request, your request shall be processed within 30 days.
- If you wish to verify the details you have submitted to SOTA or if you wish to check on the manner in which SOTA uses and processes your personal data, SOTA’s security procedures mean that SOTA may request proof of identity before we reveal information. This proof of identity will take the form of full details of name, login details and NRIC/BC/FIN or Passport number. You must therefore keep this information safe as you will be responsible for any action, which SOTA takes in response to a request from someone using your login details. We would strongly recommend that when you login to your online account in our websites / portals that you do not use the browser’s password memory function as that would permit other people using your terminal to access your personal information.
- You have the right to request access to, update and/or correct your child’s /children’s and/or your personal data held by us. If you wish to do so, please contact our Data Protection Officer via DPO@sota.edu.sg and provide details of your access, update and/or correction request.
- Changes in Privacy Policy
- SOTA reserves the right to alter any of the clauses contained herein in compliance with local legislation, and for any other purpose deemed reasonably necessary by SOTA. You should look at these terms regularly. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you should inform us as soon as possible of the terms to which you do not consent. Pending such notice, if there is any inconsistency between these terms and the additional terms, the additional terms will prevail.
- SOTA reserves the right to alter any of the clauses contained herein in compliance with local legislation, and for any other purpose deemed reasonably necessary by SOTA. You should look at these terms regularly. If you do not agree to the modified terms, you should inform us as soon as possible of the terms to which you do not consent. Pending such notice, if there is any inconsistency between these terms and the additional terms, the additional terms will prevail.
- Governing Law
- This Policy is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore. You hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Singapore courts.
- This Policy is governed by and shall be construed in accordance with the laws of Singapore. You hereby submit to the non-exclusive jurisdiction of the Singapore courts.
- Miscellaneous
- This Policy only applies to the collection and use of Personal Data by SOTA. It does not cover third party sites to which we provide links, even if such sites are co-branded with our logo. SOTA does not share your Personal Data with third party websites. SOTA is not responsible for the privacy and conduct practices of these third party websites, so you should read their own privacy policies before disclosure of any Personal Data to these websites.
- SOTA will not sell your personal information to any third party without your permission, but we cannot be responsible or held liable for the actions of third party sites via which you may have been linked or been directed to SOTA’s website.
- If you have any questions about this privacy policy, please write to us at the following address:
Data Protection Officer
School of the Arts Singapore
1 Zubir Said Drive #05-01
Singapore 227968
Email: DPO@sota.edu.sg
- This Policy only applies to the collection and use of Personal Data by SOTA. It does not cover third party sites to which we provide links, even if such sites are co-branded with our logo. SOTA does not share your Personal Data with third party websites. SOTA is not responsible for the privacy and conduct practices of these third party websites, so you should read their own privacy policies before disclosure of any Personal Data to these websites.
Whistle Blower Policy
- Purpose
- SOTA wants to promote and maintain high standards of good governance, integrity, accountability and responsibility at the School.
- The Whistle Blower Policy is established pursuant to the School’s Code of Conduct and provides a channel as well as a set of tools for stakeholders of SOTA to report a good-faith actual or suspected unethical behaviour.
- SOTA wants to promote and maintain high standards of good governance, integrity, accountability and responsibility at the School.
- Scope
- A Stakeholder belongs to any of the following categories:
- Employees, including those who work part-time or are seconded by Ministries to the School, Students and Parents,
- Vendors, including service providers, suppliers, consultants and agencies,
- Any other person with a direct association or working relationship with SOTA.
- Unethical behaviour refers to any conduct that may constitute a disciplinary action or criminal offence. Illustrations of unethical behaviour are but not limited to:
- Corruption or bribery,
- Embezzlement, cheating or theft,
- Violation of laws and regulations,
- Irregularities in financial reporting, misstatements arising from reporting,
- Improper or unauthorised expenditure,
- Misuse of funds and resources,
- Abuse of power or authority,
- Conflict of interest without due disclosure,
- Breach or circumvention of internal policies,
- Aiding and abetting illegal activities,
- Unauthorised access and/or disclosure of information,
- Concealment or wilful suppression of any malpractice or misconduct,
- Acts to mislead, deceive, manipulate, coerce or fraudulently influence the preparation, examination, audit or review of any assets and records of the School,
- Endangerment to health or safety of persons or environment,
- Any form of harassment,
- Inappropriate relationship between an Employee and student,
- Unprofessional behaviour between Employees and parents,
- Any other conduct that may cause financial or non-financial loss or damage of reputation to the School.
- A Stakeholder belongs to any of the following categories:
- Confidentiality and Protection
- The WBP encourages stakeholders to raise any good-faith report about an unethical behaviour without fear of reprisal or victimisation, rather than ignore or raise it outside the School. All such reports will be treated with strict confidence.
- The School will not retaliate against nor tolerate anyone else’s retaliation against someone, who makes a good-faith report regarding an actual or suspected unethical behaviour, even if eventually a reported unethical behaviour turns out not to be an unethical behaviour.
- A stakeholder may come forward either anonymously or by identifying him or herself (“whistle-blower”). The identity of the whistle-blower will not be revealed by the School, unless with his or her consent, subject to the following exceptions:
- Identity is to be revealed by law;
- The identity of the whistle-blower is already publicly known;
- Information is to be given for the purpose of obtaining professional advice. In such case, the exchange will take place on a strictly confidential basis.
- Appropriate actions, including legal action, where applicable, will be taken against the whistle-Blower, who knowingly and/or in bad-faith report a wrongdoing, that is false, malicious, vexatious or for personal gain.
- The WBP encourages stakeholders to raise any good-faith report about an unethical behaviour without fear of reprisal or victimisation, rather than ignore or raise it outside the School. All such reports will be treated with strict confidence.
- Reporting Modes
- The contact information of the Receiving Officer is as follows: Audit and Risk Committee Chairman
Administration Office
1 Zubir Said Drive, #05-01
Singapore 227968
Email: whistleblow@sota.edu.sg
- Concerns raised or information provided that is vague or insufficient can impede the investigation process and allegations may therefore not be pursued. To facilitate the School’s independent investigation, please provide the information to the best of your knowledge, using the table which could be downloaded here.
- The contact information of the Receiving Officer is as follows: Audit and Risk Committee Chairman