Column Proposal to Establish a Liaison Council on Measures to Prevent Information Leaks in Educational Institutions In recent years, there have been incidents of leaks involving sensitive information at educational institutions. In particular, information regarding students who are not attending school is highly sensitive—covering individual circumstances, family backgrounds, and health conditions—and must be handled with the utmost care.Furthermore, measures to prevent such incidents and respond to them after they occur require the understanding and cooperation of stakeholders across the fields of education, welfare, healthcare, and public administration. Therefore, we propose the establishment of the “Coordinating Council for Information Leak Prevention in Educational Institutions.”Through this council, we aim to foster collaboration among relevant parties and create an environment where students can receive education and support with peace of mind by strengthening systems to prevent data leaks, ensuring appropriate post-incident responses when leaks occur, and promoting awareness campaigns to raise security awareness. In particular, we will prioritize implementing measures that take into consideration students who are not attending school.
2.1 The Need for Measures to Prevent Data Leaks
・Data breaches can threaten students’ physical and mental health and safety. In particular, information regarding students who are not attending school is deeply tied to their personal privacy and requires special protection.
・In addition to implementing measures to prevent data breaches, it is essential to establish a system for responding swiftly and appropriately in the event of a breach in order to minimize the damage.
2.2 Strengthening Collaboration Among Diverse Stakeholders
・Multiple organizations—including educational institutions, social welfare agencies, and medical facilities—are involved in supporting children and students who are not attending school. While information sharing among these organizations is essential, it is also necessary to ensure strict information management in this process.
3.1 Implementation of Measures to Prevent Information Leaks
• Specifically, our measures will be based on three pillars: “prevention,” “response,” and “awareness-raising.”
• Preventing data leaks through measures such as strengthening information management systems
• Appropriate follow-up measures in the event of a leak
• Education and awareness-raising activities aimed at raising security awareness among faculty, staff, and others
3.2 Operation of the Liaison Council
• We will establish and operate a liaison council comprising educational institutions, social welfare organizations, medical institutions, and government agencies.
Professor, Keio University; Ph.D. (Policy and Media)
Director, B Lab
Chairperson, Learning of Tomorrow (General Incorporated Association)
Chairperson, CANVAS
After graduating from the Faculty of Engineering at the University of Tokyo, he served as a visiting researcher at the MIT Media Lab before founding the NPO CANVAS and the Learning of Tomorrow Association, a General Incorporated Association, and assuming the role of representative. He serves as an outside director for Matsuya Co., Ltd., Fuji Media Holdings, Inc., and Digital Garage, Inc.
He has served on various government committees, including the Information and Communications Council of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and Communications, as well as the NHK Central Broadcasting Program Council. He also serves as a director of the Digital Signage Consortium, among other roles. He holds a Ph.D. in Policy and Media.
His publications include *Turning On Children’s Creativity!*, *What Are Smart Kids Doing on Their Smartphones?*, *The Forefront of Online Education in Japan: Considering Learning in the Post-COVID Era*,“What Is Programming Education? 45 Questions Parents Want to Know,” and “Declaration on Digital Education.” He has also provided supervision for numerous works, including “Ah, I See! Programming Education for Parents and Children Through Manga.”
