When we started Schoolmait, we defined five core principles to guide our efforts in delivering a valuable, safe, and ethically driven solutions. Here are the principles and some of the decisions and actions we have taken so far:
1. Our evaluation must be relevant, credible and practical
We continuously review new research and update our methodology to ensure it is evidence-based and up to date. We also consult with experts on a regular basis about how to improve and further validate our questionnaires and analysis practices.
We understand and value the time of teachers and staff. Therefore, we have set a goal to minimise the time spent on technical tasks, such as gathering and analysing data, so that educators can focus on value-adding activities, such as making decisions and taking action.
2. We must employ an ethics-driven approach
Data concerning young people deserves special attention. We are committed to collecting and using data in a responsible, fair and ethical manner and to go beyond GDPR's requirements to ensure the privacy of our users.
We take a child-centred approach. While our surveys are not anonymous, as this enables schools to support individual students and ensure meaningful impact, we only collect a minimal amount of personal data as possible. For this reason, we do not gather students' full names or other identifying information, except for a designated alias provided by the school. The link between the alias and the student’s identity is maintained exclusively by the school and we do not have access to that information.
We inform students that school staff may view their responses for the purpose of supporting their academic growth.
We provide the option for participants to skip any question they do not wish to answer.
If we share data with external parties, such as for AI-related operations or research purposes, we will take the necessary steps to anonymise the data prior to sharing it in order to protect the privacy of the participants. Any AI-generated content will be clearly labeled to ensure transparency.
3. We are all citizens of the world
We aim to operate in an environmentally responsible way and use resources efficiently.
We pledge to dedicate at least 1% of our profits to promote wellbeing in schools in less fortunate countries.
As global citizens, we have proudly aligned our business model with 4 of the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals.
4. We think data protection
We place a high priority on data security and take strong measures to protect information and prevent unauthorised access.
We use Amazon AWS for hosting our systems and data. Amazon’s strong track record for providing secure infrastructure services makes it a reliable choice for hosting data.
We have implemented SSL encryption to secure communication with our servers.
Our data retention policy of 3-4 years allows enough time to access important information while reducing the risk of data breaches.
We have established a set of internal policies and procedures, conduct regular risk assessments and provide ongoing training to our team to ensure continuous improvement of our information security posture.
5. Wellbeing matters for everyone, including ourselves
We aim to create a diverse environment where everyone can think big, have fun and do good.
We embrace "work from anywhere" as a strength.
We build only products we believe in and we focus on positive long-term impacts.