Who is responsible
Responsible party and Information Officer: [name, registration with the Information Regulator and postal address: to be completed before launch]. Contact: disputes@madaris.co.za.
What we hold and why
A school that is owed fees may record the child's name, date of birth, the amount owed, since when, and the signed parent consent form. The child's ID or birth certificate number is never stored: only a one-way scrambled code is kept, used to recognise the same number when another school enters it. Schools that apply to join also supply registration and principal ID documents for vetting.
The purpose is to let vetted schools check a previous-school debt and request a reference before enrolling a child. Nothing is public and no search by name is possible.
Who can see it
Only approved schools. A lookup shows the school that is owed, the amount, since when and how to contact them. References are visible only to the two schools involved. Every lookup is logged.
How long we keep it
A record expires after 24 months unless the school renews it. After a debt is cleared the record stays visible for 30 days and is then hidden from lookups.
Where it is stored
Our platform provider has no South African data centre, so information is stored outside South Africa. We take reasonable steps so it receives protection comparable to POPIA (section 72).
Your rights and disputes
You may ask what we hold about your child, ask for a correction, or dispute a record. Email disputes@madaris.co.za with the child's name and the school concerned. A disputed record is frozen and shown to other schools as "Disputed" while it is reviewed, even if the school that created it cannot be reached. You may also complain to the Information Regulator.