VPRS 19923 Pupils' Registers

Full description

This series comprises Pupils’ Registers for Woolshed Reef State School (School No. 1457) (VA 5367). Pupil registers were a standardised register in which to record student enrolment data, used by all Victorian government primary schools and at times adapted for use at other types of schools. 

The front cover typically featured titles such as "Pupils' Register State Primary School" or "Register of the Common School," with space to record the school number and name. Additional instructions on the cover outlined the required information to be recorded in the register.

The information entered into the register was typically derived from admission forms completed by parents prior to admission or, in the case of transfers from other government schools, from transfer notes completed by the previous school. While the level of detail listed for students varies, the information recorded may include a registration number (a sequential number assigned upon enrolment at the school); the student’s full name and date of birth; date of enrolment; name, residence and occupation of parent or guardian; school last attended (school number and name) with grade and date of last attendance; number of meetings attended (sectioned by year); date, month and year of obtaining Merit Certificate, and Merit Certificate number; date, month, and year of last attendance; and destination of pupil (either the number and name of a school, or nature of occupation, and name and address of employer).

From the 1980s, schools began transitioning to the Computerised Administrative System Environment in Schools (CASES) database, a centralised digital enrolment system maintained by the Education Department (VA 714) or its successors. Initially not widely used, the then Department of Education (VA 3098) introduced an updated CASES21, which became the mandatory system of record for financial information and reporting for all Victorian government schools from 2006. While CASES21 was also used for student and school administration processes, schools were permitted to utilise other third-party software to meet their needs in conjunction with the system.