Site Changes

On 1 November 2010 the Office of the Privacy Commissioner was integrated into the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner and a new website established at www.oaic.gov.au.

Note 1: Major changes to the Privacy Act 1988 will come into effect in March 2014. Agencies, businesses and not for profits need to start preparing for these changes. For more information go to our privacy law reform page at www.oaic.gov.au
Note 2: From 12 March 2013 content is no longer being added to, or amended, on this site, consequently some information may be out of date. For new privacy content visit the www.oaic.gov.au website.

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Topic(s): Other

Media Release: School Student Reports

20 February 2002

The Federal Privacy Commissioner, Malcolm Crompton, comments on inaccurate media reports that private school student's can stop schools from releasing their school reports to their parents.

The Commissioner said "in most cases, it is reasonable for schools to release school reports to parents. Information on a student's educational progress is collected by schools for the primary purpose of providing an education. A school using that information to keep parents updated is a related secondary purpose and likely to be within the student's reasonable expectations. This type of disclosure is permitted under National Principle 2.1(a) in the Privacy Act."

"The Privacy law does not stop everyday life in educating our children" said Mr Crompton. "Of course parents continue to be part of their children's education and of course will continue to receive school reports as always. Only in exceptional circumstances could children stop disclosure of a report to them - for example when an AVO might be in place. But all of us would agree that this was appropriate. The Office exists to handle the difficult cases that might be on the borderline."