Identity document in education

Op sommige momenten kan een identiteitsbewijs nodig zijn in het onderwijs. Zo zijn onderwijsinstellingen wettelijk verplicht de identiteit vast te stellen van leerlingen of studenten die zich inschrijven.

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Identification on registration

Do you register yourself or your child with a primary school, secondary school, institution for senior secondary vocational education, university of applied sciences or university? Then this educational institution is required by law to establish your identity or the identity of your child.

When doing so, the educational institution has to register some data of you or your child, such as name, date of birth and education number. The education number is the same as the citizen service number (BSN).

You have to show the passport or the identity card of yourself or your child for this registration. Or proof of deregistration with another educational institution.

Note: The educational institution is not allowed to make a copy, scan or photo of your or your child's identity document.

Identification at final examination

Do you take your final examination at secondary school? Then you have to identify yourself (provide proof of identity) if you are taking a state examination or a partial state examination. This is not necessary for an ordinary final examination at a secondary school.

Does the person who conducts the (partial) state examination or supervises this ask you to identify yourself? Then you show your valid identity document. The person who asks you to do this is not allowed to make a copy, scan or photo of your identity document.

Identification at tests or exams

Are you taking a test or an exam? Then your school or university may ask you to identify yourself (provide proof of identity). The examiner or invigilator at the test or exam can then ask you to show your student card (also called student identity card or campus card) or identity document (such as your passport or identity card). Schools and universities do this for the prevention of fraud.

Note: Your school or university is not allowed to make a copy, scan or photo of your identity document in the process.

Remote test or exam

Are you taking a test or exam not on site, but remotely? And is there video surveillance (proctoring)? Then showing a student card or identity document without a copy (video recording) being made of this is not possible. That is why your school or university is never allowed to ask you to show your entire identity document, without data being blocked.

Your school or university has to choose a manner of identification that infringes the privacy of students a little as possible. Showing a student card, for example, is a less serious infringement of the privacy of students than showing an identity document, because a student card contains fewer (sensitive) data than an identity document.

Is showing your identity document really the only option for identifying yourself? For example, because you have lost your student card? Then your school or university is only allowed to ask you to show a partly blocked identity document, in which all unnecessary data are not visible. That is, in any case, your citizen service number (BSN).

The school or university has to provide all students in advance with a clear instruction on how they can identify themselves. And if showing an identity document is necessary, which data the students are allowed to block in that case.