What is the primary purpose of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)?

The primary purpose of the Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA) is to provide parents certain rights over their children's educational records. This federal law ensures that parents have the ability to access their children's educational records, seek to have those records amended, and protect the privacy of those records. FERPA grants parents the right to control who can view their children's educational information, thereby reinforcing the confidentiality and security of student records.

In the broader context of educational rights, FERPA upholds the principle that parents should have oversight and access to pertinent information regarding their children's education, thus empowering them to make informed decisions about their child's academic path. This law plays a critical role in fostering trust between families and educational institutions, as it establishes a legal framework for the handling of sensitive student information.