The Social Security Number
Schools are
regularly, and very often illegally, requesting the social security numbers of
children. Parents need to know that
the once that social security number is surrendered to the school, it is no
longer secure. The SSN will then be placed on the schools computerized record
of the child, and will be provided on tapes to assessment companies,
electronically to state and federal computer banks, and may become the number
by which portfolios are tracked to students. At the federal level, the greatest
amount of personal information on American citizens is held by the National
Center on Educational Statistics (NCES). This information is housed in two huge
mainframe computers. The largest
amount is held by Boeing Computers of Vienna, Virginia; the balance is held in
the computers of the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Parents are often told by school
employees that the Social Security Number is required; that they must surrender
it. Children are often asked for
this number and they are pressured by teachers and school personnel to supply
it. Some schools have even resorted
to rewarding students who supply their SSN.
What does the Social Security Law state
about the Social Security Number?
Public Law 93-579
December 31, 1974
(5 USC
552a) Section 7.
(a) (1) It shall be unlawful for any Federal, State or local government agency
to deny any individual any right, benefit, or privilege provided by law because
of such individual's refusal to disclose his social security account number.
(2) the
provisions of paragraph (1) of this subsection shall not apply with respect
to—
(A) any
disclosure which is required by Federal statute, or
(B) the disclosure of a
social security number to any Federal, State, or local agency maintaining a
system of records in existence and operating before January 1, 1975, if such
disclosure was required under statute or regulation adopted prior to such date
to verify the identity of an individual
(b) Any Federal, State or local
government agency which requests an individual to disclose his social security
account number shall inform that individual whether that disclosure is
mandatory or voluntary, by what statutory or other authority such number is
solicited, and what uses will be made of it. (highlighting added)
©
September 1998; Lynn M Stuter
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