Making a freedom of information (FOI) request: Department of Education

You can access documents held by the department by submitting a request under the Freedom of Information Act (FOI).

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If you are a victim-survivor

If you experienced sexual abuse by an adult working at a Victorian government school, the Restorative Engagement and Support team can help you get your school records without the need to make an FOI request.

Access school records as a victim-survivor.

Documents you can request through FOI

Under the Freedom of Information Act 1982 you can request the following documents held by the Department of Education:

  • personal documents regardless of the age of the documents
  • non-personal documents created after 5 July 1978.

Documents can include emails and correspondence, reports, photos, videos and recordings, maps and plans and digital or paper records.

Do I need to make an FOI request?

You need to make an FOI request if the documents are not available publicly or to you in another way, such as:

These options may be faster and available at no cost to you. If the information is not available through these options, you need to make an FOI request.

Fees and charges

  • An application fee of $33.60 as at 1 July 2025 applies and is non-refundable. The fee is indexed annually on 1 July.
  • Additional charges may apply depending on the work involved.

We will tell you about any extra charges before continuing.

Make an FOI request

A request needs to be clear so that we can process it.

In your request, be specific about what documents you are seeking and include as much information as possible. Consider:

  • what the documents relate to, for example, attendance at a specific school or a particular project or initiative, and the type of document such as a report or email
  • when the documents may have been created on either a particular date or within a date range
  • where the documents might be located, for example, in an email account or a specific school, region, or area of the department.

Also consider excluding documents you do not need access to. For example, you could specify that you don't want:

  • draft documents or duplicates (such as in chain emails)
  • commercial or personal information relating to other people.

If your request is not clear, we will contact you and assist you to clarify which documents you are seeking.

In your request, also include your:

  • full name
  • address
  • email address
  • date of birth.

Proof of identity

When seeking access to personal documents, we also need your proof of identity.

Requesting for someone else

When requesting documents as an agent for another person we will require additional information from you. A parent or guardian may request documents on behalf of their child by providing evidence of guardianship status or authority to act as an agent.

Submit a request

You can submit a request in the following ways:

Online

Use the Freedom of Information Request Portal by registering and logging. You can also pay the application fee by card using the portal.

By email

You can submit your request by email to foi@education.vic.gov.au.

By mail

Manager, Freedom of Information
Department of Education
GPO Box 4367
Melbourne VIC 3001

What happens next

After you submit your request:

  • we confirm we have received it
  • we review it and may contact you for more information
  • we process your request once we have everything we need

We are required to notify you of our decision within 30 days. In some cases, we may extend the timeframe. We will let you know if this happens.

Learn more about how FOI requests are assessed and your review rights, at what happens after you make an FOI request.

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