The school records of most value to genealogists are the registers of Admission, Progress and Withdrawal. These give the pupil’s name, date of admission, name and address of parent or guardian, date of birth, information about the level of achievement, last day of attendance and destination. Other school records that contain pupil information are; Attendance registers and Examination registers.

Archives New Zealand holds registers for many but not all primary schools (for example most Otago school records are held by the Hocken Library in Dunedin. Our holdings for secondary schools are limited and mostly date from the mid 1960s.

To search for the records of a particular school go to the Simple Search and enter the School’s name in the “Anything else” search. For more general information about school records refer to our Education reference guide.

The class lists, also known as class schedules, were compiled annually by the Education Boards. They were schedules of primary school pupils who were examined by the Board’s inspectors for promotion to the next class. The lists are arranged by year and, within that, alphabetically by the name of the school. They record the pupil’s name, age, standard passed, examination results and occasionally personal comments.

For further information on our holdings of Class Lists and other Education Board records refer to our Education reference guide.

Note: the Otago Education Board Class lists are held by the Hocken Library.

A parallel system of education operated in New Zealand until 1969. Children could either attend a regular state school or a Native school (later known as Māori schools). The Māori schools were directly administered by the Department of Education and the records of some 450 schools are held in our Auckland office.

The records include the registers (of Admission, Progress and Withdrawal, Examination, and Attendance), but there are also index cards for Native school teachers, teachers’ workbooks, and log books containing entries of important events and activities of the school.

To search for the records of a particular school go to the Simple Search and enter the School’s name in the “Anything else” search. For more general information about native School records refer to our Education reference guide.

In the late nineteenth century institutions known as industrial schools were set up to look after neglected or delinquent children, while special schools were established to help children with physical or intellectual disabilities. The main records of individual children are the admission registers and nomination rolls, however their sensitivity means that access may be restricted.

For detailed information on Industrial and Special School records and conditions of access, refer to our Education reference guide.

The University of New Zealand was not a teaching body, but the national examining and degree granting institution from 1870 to 1961. The records held in our Wellington office include Student registers for the period 1872-1905. These contain the names of students, the college attended, and information about degrees and prizes granted, and fees paid. The registers were superseded by individual record cards which are also held.

For detailed information on University of New Zealand records and the conditions of access, refer to our Education reference guide. NB. The individual universities have generally retained their own records.

Archives New Zealand holds some files and salary cards for both primary and secondary school teachers however these do not cover every teacher who has taught in New Zealand. The records that have survived provide a summary of a person’s career including the qualifications and positions held, and the places they taught throughout New Zealand. Teacher records are held in our four offices in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch & Dunedin. An individual’s file is most likely to be in the office closest to the last place they taught. Teacher records contain personal information and are restricted.

For more information about these records and the restrictions on access refer to our Education reference guide.