1. Who we are
This policy applies to Teachers Updates and the website teachersupdates.co.ke (the site). It explains what personal information we collect, why, and the choices you have. We handle personal information in line with the Data Protection Act, 2019 of Kenya.
2. Information we collect
- Account details: your name, email address and password. Passwords are stored only in a scrambled (hashed) form, never as plain text.
- Content you add: teacher swap listings, including the counties, subjects and levels you enter and any contact details you choose to share, and the documents you save to your account.
- Documents you generate with our planning tools, and records of those requests, such as the options you selected and the result.
- Messages you send us by email, WhatsApp or phone.
- Technical information: your IP address, browser and device type, the pages you visit and when, collected through server logs and similar tools.
3. How we use your information
- To create and secure your account and keep you signed in.
- To publish your swap listings and let interested teachers contact you.
- To generate, save and show you the documents you create.
- To run, protect and improve the site, and to fix problems.
- To reply to your questions and requests.
- To meet our legal obligations.
We do not send marketing emails without your consent, and we do not sell your personal information.
4. Swap listings are public
Teacher swap listings can be seen by visitors to the site. Contact details attached to a listing are shared through that listing’s contact option, so only add a phone number or email you are happy for interested teachers to use.
4A. Tutor profiles and connection requests
If you create a tutor profile, your name, headline, about text, subjects, levels, county or area, the kinds of lessons you offer, any rate you enter, and any TSC details you choose to give are shown publicly once the profile is approved. Your phone number and email are kept private and are shared only with a parent or learner whose request you accept. If you send a connection request, your name, phone, optional email, the learner’s level and subject, and your message are visible to that teacher, and your phone and email are shared with them if they accept. Please do not include a child’s name, photo, school or address. Learning requests you post are shown publicly without your name or contact details once approved, and your name, phone and email are shared only with a teacher whose response you accept. Reports you submit are seen by our moderators. We may keep records of requests, reports and moderation decisions for safety and legal reasons.
5. AI-assisted tools
When you use our scheme of work or lesson plan tools, the options you choose (such as level, subject and strand) and any text you enter are processed by AI services to produce your draft. Please do not enter sensitive personal information about yourself or about learners.
6. Cookies
We use cookies that are necessary to keep you signed in and to keep your session secure. If we add analytics or advertising tools that use other cookies, we will update this policy first. You can control or delete cookies in your browser settings, but parts of the site that need you to sign in may stop working.
7. Who we share information with
- Service providers who help us run the site, such as hosting, file storage (for example Cloudflare) and AI services. They may only use the information to provide their service to us.
- Authorities, where the law requires it.
- Other people, where you ask us to or give your consent.
Share buttons on our articles are ordinary links. They do not send any information to social networks until you choose to click one. Social networks and other sites we link to have their own privacy policies.
8. How long we keep information
We keep account information while your account is active. When an account is deleted, it is first deactivated and removed from view, and some information may be kept for a limited time for security, backup and legal reasons before it is permanently removed.
9. Keeping your information safe
We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including hashed passwords and encrypted (HTTPS) connections. No system is completely secure, so please choose a strong password and keep it private.
10. Your rights
Under the Data Protection Act, 2019 you have the right to:
- be told how your personal data is used;
- access the personal data we hold about you;
- object to the processing of your data;
- ask us to correct data that is wrong or incomplete;
- ask us to delete data that we no longer need; and
- receive your data in a usable format where this applies.
To use any of these rights, email [email protected]. We may need to confirm your identity first. If you are not satisfied with how we have handled your information, you can complain to the Office of the Data Protection Commissioner at odpc.go.ke.
11. Children
The site is meant for teachers and other adults. It is not directed at children under 18 and we do not knowingly collect their personal information.
12. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. The date at the top shows when it last changed. If we make an important change, we will say so on the site.
13. Contact us
Email [email protected] or call +254 777 100 199. You can also read our Terms and Conditions.