Retention periods · secondary educationSecondary education
How long to keep it?
Per kind of data.
Most periods start when a student leaves school. Do not keep data shorter than the law requires, and not longer than needed. That is why Kennisnet calls a period both a minimum and a maximum. Here is the overview for secondary education, with the source for every line.
As of 12 November 2026. This is an explanation, not legal advice. The school sets its own periods, together with its data protection officer.
The overview
What, how long and why.
Usually from deregistration.
While a student is at school, no period is running yet. The last column says how firm the rule is: a law, a guideline or the Public Records Act.
| Kind of data | How long | Basis |
|---|---|---|
| Student administration: enrolment, proof of deregistration, absence, data for funding | At least 5 years after deregistration. Kennisnet uses 5 years and 8 weeks. | Law: Art. 8.10 Uitvoeringsbesluit WVO 2020 |
| Grades per year, reports, test results, progress | As soon as no longer needed, at most 2 years after deregistration. | Guideline: Kennisnet, on the advice of the Dutch Data Protection Authority |
| Care file and development perspective plan (OPP) | 2 years after deregistration. | Guideline: Kennisnet |
| Educational report (onderwijskundig rapport) | At most until deregistration. | Guideline: Kennisnet |
| Completed central exam work, with one set of questions | At least 6 months after the result. | Law: Art. 3.31 Uitvoeringsbesluit WVO 2020 |
| Completed school exam work | No legal period. | Dutch government (Rijksoverheid) |
| Exam result, grade list, diploma, exemption from compulsory schooling | Do not destroy for now. The draft of the new selection list mentions 5 years after graduation. | Public Records Act: no selection list yet for secondary education. If a municipality is the school board, the municipality’s selection list applies. |
A longer period than this is only possible with a reason the school records, such as an ongoing objection or a court case.
De Archiefwet
Exams and diplomas.
A separate law applies there.
On 1 January 2027 the Public Records Act 2026 takes effect. Whether a school falls under it depends on who runs the school, not on whether it is a public or a private (bijzonder) school.
A municipality as school board
Then the school’s whole archive falls under the Public Records Act, and the school follows the municipality’s selection list.
A foundation as school board
Then only the tasks with public authority: diplomas, grade lists and exemption from compulsory schooling. At a public school also admitting and expelling students.
No selection list yet
For secondary education there is no adopted list yet that says when exam data may be deleted. Until there is one: do not destroy it. The list is expected before summer 2027.
What else the Public Records Act asks. Keeping documents findable, readable and complete. When switching to other software, a migration plan and a migration statement. Destroying only according to a selection list, with a destruction statement. And reporting loss or damage to the inspectorate straight away.
Diploma lost? There is no duplicate of a diploma or grade list. A former student gets an extract with the grade list from DUO themselves, for secondary diplomas from funded schools from 2006 onwards; digitally that is free. If it is older, the school can make a statement from its archive. That is proof of the result, not a replacement for the diploma.
When you switch
What you take with you.
And what you leave behind.
If you switch to another system, you still need access to the old data for years. This is what has to come along:
- Everything about the students who are still at school. For them no period is running yet.
- Administration and absence of students deregistered in the last 5 years.
- Grades, reports, file, care and OPP of students deregistered in the last 2 years.
- The exam part of all years: result, grade list, diploma and exemption from compulsory schooling.
What is already past its period often should have been deleted already. You do not take that with you. How a switch works
In Ludendo
The Kennisnet periods.
Deleting only with approval.
This is what was decided: Ludendo proposes the Kennisnet periods, and the school records its own periods in the data processing agreement. That has not been done with any school yet. It has not been built yet either, and neither has deleting in the app itself. There is no real data in Ludendo now.
Standaard Kennisnet
For each kind of data, the Kennisnet period. The school can adjust a period, but never shorter than the law. Longer only with a recorded reason. Planned
A deletion list
What is past its period goes on a list. The administration sees 30 days in advance what will be deleted. Only when the school leaders approve is it gone. Planned
Exams never automatically
Result, grade list and diploma are never deleted automatically while there is no selection list. With every destruction Ludendo makes a statement. Planned
Questions
What schools ask
about keeping data.
When does the retention period start?
On the day the student leaves school. While a student is at school, no period is running yet.
May we keep data longer than the period?
Only with a reason you record, such as an ongoing objection, a court case or a request for access. According to Kennisnet a period is both a minimum and a maximum.
May a former student ask for everything to be deleted?
Asking is always allowed. But what the school must keep by law, such as the administration or the exam part, it may not delete while the period is running (GDPR, Art. 17(3)).
Who sets the periods?
The school, as the party responsible for the data. Many schools follow the Kennisnet overview. Record your periods in the annex to the data processing agreement, and explain them in the privacy information sheet.
Doesn’t DUO already keep the exam data?
Partly. DUO has the result and the grade list of secondary diplomas from 2006 onwards, not the parts of the school exam. That is a DUO register; the school keeps its own duty to retain.
Sources
- Uitvoeringsbesluit WVO 2020, Art. 3.31, 3.51 and 8.10 (Stb. 2021, 521)
- Kennisnet, Bewaartermijnenoverzicht v1.3 (July 2025), via the Normenkader IBP
- Public Records Act 2026 (Archiefwet 2026, Stb. 2026, 149) and Public Records Decree 2026 (Archiefbesluit 2026, Stb. 2026, 321)
- VO-raad, Archiefwet: bewaartermijnen voor openbaar-gezagtaken (in Dutch)
- Inspectie Overheidsinformatie en Erfgoed, Informatieblad archiefbeheer scholen (April 2023, in Dutch)
- Rijksoverheid, Hoe lang moet een school examenmateriaal bewaren? (in Dutch)
- DUO, Uittreksel diplomagegevens downloaden (in Dutch)
Read on 12 November 2026. Is something missing or no longer correct? Email it to [email protected].
Do you decide on your school’s system?
Come and
get to know each other.
We show you the app with made-up data and tell you honestly what already works. Do not send any student data.
Your email reaches Thomas and Geert, the makers of Ludendo.