Why some records are unavailable

Information on why some records are missing or lost.

The record was never created

The types of records schools create and keep has changed over time.

Before the Public Records Act was passed in 1973, there was no legal rule that made it mandatory for schools to keep records.

Even after the introduction of the Public Records Act, not every action or decision was documented.

Over time, schools began creating new kinds of records. For example, detailed staff files for all school employees only became common in the 1970s and 1980s. The oldest of these files are from the 1960s. Before then, the department kept only short summaries of each person’s employment.

As laws and community expectations around child safety and public accountability have grown, recordkeeping has improved too.

Information about the types of records schools have made can be found at Record types explained. The current policy for recordkeeping in schools is on the Department of Education’s Policy and Advisory Library.

The record location is unknown

Before the introduction of the Public Records Act 1973, schools did not have to retain the records they made.

School closures have also made it hard to find some historical records. When schools closed in the past, the records were sometimes taken by school staff for ‘safe keeping’ or sent to a local historical society.

The department keeps a list of school records that it knows are held by historical societies. Records from closed schools may also be in other places the department does not know about.

The record has been accidentally destroyed

Some school records have been lost in natural disasters such as bushfires, floods, or storms.

There are also cases where records have been damaged or destroyed due to accidents like electrical faults, or by storage conditions affected by pests or weather.

There are rules for how long school must keep different records, but some records may have been destroyed too soon by mistake.

The department gives schools advice to help prevent records from being destroyed accidentally, including how long records must be kept and how to store them safely.

The record has been legally destroyed

Before the Public Records Act 1973, schools could legally destroy records at any time.

There are now rules for how long schools must keep administrative records. Once the minimum length of time for each type of record has passed, the school can legally destroy the record. If a record is unavailable, the school may have destroyed it under these laws.

These time periods are set and published by the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV): Retention and disposal authorities (RDAs) | PROV.

The time periods depend on how important the records are and can change over time. For example:

Before 2022, primary schools only had to keep student reports for 6 years after a student left. Now they must keep them for 15 years.
Before 2001, student wellbeing records could be destroyed 1 year after a student left school. After 2001, they had to be kept until the student turned 25. Since 2022, they must be kept for 75 years.

For more about school recordkeeping laws, visit: What the law says about school records.

The record has been stolen

Some school records have been lost because of theft or vandalism.

The record exists but access is restricted

The ability to access different records can vary depending on the type of record and when it was created. Contacting the school or the department’s records team can be the best place to start your search.

In general, you can access records that are about you. Access to records about other people will be restricted. For more information on accessing records, see My rights and my records.

If you are a victim-survivor of child sexual abuse, please visit Victim-survivor support for former students for support and information.

Education & training

Updated 27 March 2026

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Why some records are unavailable

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The record was never created

The record location is unknown

The record has been accidentally destroyed

The record has been legally destroyed

The record has been stolen

The record exists but access is restricted

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