Can a school put parent details in a school directory?

Some schools publish directories of students its learners with their parents’ contact details. These directories are permitted, as long as the schools tell the students learners and their parents that they are going to be in the directory when they collect their personal information.

However, there may be situations where learners or their parents do not want their contact information made available to other people. For example, where protection orders are in place. Therefore, we recommend that learner and thier parents are given the opportunity to opt out of being included in school directories to ensure learners and their parents have choice about who their contact information is shared with, and to maintain good relations in the community.

School directories can be extremely useful to parents and caregivers. As one correspondent to our office put it, they can be invaluable in a scheduling crisis, for arranging last-minute pickups or for alerting other parents to an issue like a cancelled playdate or ‘that it’s mufti day tomorrow!’. The primary value is in giving parents a way to contact each other should a need arise.

Updated November 2025