Open access to information at NESA

NESA publishes a range of open access information. Learn what types of information you can access, what can’t be disclosed, how to access our information and contracts we have with private businesses.

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Information you can access

NESA is committed to the principles of open and transparent government. NESA publishes a range of open access information free of charge or at the lowest possible cost.

NESA follows the requirements of the Government Information (Public Access) Act 2009 (GIPA Act).  The GIPA Act is a NSW law which helps maintain and advance an open and accountable system of democratic government.

Our agency freely provides the following information:

  • an information guide describing our agency’s structure and functions, how those functions affect the community, the type of information held by our agency and how the information can be accessed
  • documents tabled in Parliament by or on behalf of our agency
  • our agency’s policy documents
  • a disclosure log of information released under formal access applications that may be of interest to the community
  • a register of government contracts with a value of $150,000 and over that our agency has with private sector organisations
  • the NSW Public Register of Teachers where you can check a teacher's accreditation status in NSW.
  • a record of open access information not made public because there is an overriding public interest against disclosing that information.

Government contracts

The GIPA Act requires NESA to publish the details of any contracts we have with a value of $150,000 or more with private sector entities. The Act also requires us to publish all Class 3 Contracts over $5 million.

Find our list of contracts at Contracts Register Search on the NSW eTendering website.

Class 3 Contracts

A Class 3 contract is a contract where the estimated value of the government contract is $5 million or more. You can download our Class 3 Contracts:

Information not disclosed

NESA may decide not to disclose open access information if there is an overriding public interest against disclosure. The GIPA Act requires NESA to publish a record of information not released.

Types of information that can’t be disclosed

The following information cannot be disclosed as there is an overriding public interest against its disclosure:

  1. any content of examination and test papers before the exam or test is held
  2. names and addresses of printers of the Higher School Certificate (HSC)
  3. storage locations of the current HSC examination papers
  4. names and addresses of contractors providing transport and security for HSC examination papers
  5. personal information of Presiding Officers (POs) and supervisors
  6. membership and/or procedures of examination committees
  7. committee members’ personal information
  8. disability provisions – applications and appeals
  9. disability provisions – criteria for provisions
  10. disability provisions – membership of specialist or assessor panels
  11. illness and misadventure applications
  12. student appeals (such as course eligibility, non-completion of course or assessment rank)
  13. illness and misadventure (and other panels) criteria
  14. students’ personal information regarding penalties for malpractice, breach of exam rules and non-certification
  15. names of schools which have students who have been involved in malpractice in school assessment tasks for the HSC
  16. students’ personal information
  17. personal information of examiners, markers, supervisors of marking, judges or field officers
  18. personal information of people with complaints against the administration of non-government schools
  19. personal information of syllabus writing teams
  20. personal information from the register of curriculum writers
  21. personal information of members of Subject reference groups
  22. personal information of NESA staff
  23. Australian Music Examinations Board NSW examiners’ personal information
  24. names of any schools inspected by NESA as part of NESA’s program of cyclical and random inspections of schools and any reports that come from those inspections
  25. personal information of people with complaints against teachers
  26. Teacher Accreditation Panel members’ personal information
  27. teachers’ personal information related to achieving and maintaining accreditation
  28. teachers' personal information related to the suspension or revocation of accreditation
  29. any information in relation to:
    • a suspension or revocation of accreditation decision under the Teacher Accreditation Act 2004, or 
    • any ensuing internal review decision under the Administrative Decisions Review Act 1997, or 
    • any information in relation to an ongoing investigation that may lead to such decisions
  30. applications from teachers for an internal review of a decision to suspend or revoke accreditation
  31. reports relating to an internal review of a decision to suspend or revoke accreditation.

How to access our information

You can access our information in the following four ways:

  • Open access information (mandatory release) – this type of information we are required to provide, such as documents tabled in parliament. 
  • Authorised proactive release – for information we release that might be of interest to the public such as annual statistical information about the HSC.
  • Informal release – any information provided on request, such as data for academic research. 
  • Access application (formal release) – this is a formal access application. You have a legally enforceable right to request government information, however there are application fees and processing charges. 

For a more detailed explanation of each of type of information, see our Agency Information Guide. 

Formal access application

To make a formal access application you must follow the application process in the Agency Information Guide. 

Contact

You can contact our Right to Information Officer by email, phone or post:

  • email: access.information@nesa.nsw.edu.au
  • phone: 02 9367 8111
  • post:
    NSW Education Standards Authority
    GPO Box 5300
    Sydney NSW 2001
  • office address:
    NSW Education Standards Authority
    Level 4
    117 Clarence Street
    Sydney NSW 2000


For further information you can contact the NSW Information and Privacy Commission (IPC) at:

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