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Education (General Provisions) Act 2006

The new Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 new window was passed by Parliament on 8 August 2006 and received Royal Assent becoming an Act on 11 August 2006. The new Act provides a legislative framework for the education system that is relevant, consistent and supports the demands of modern schooling.

The new Act retains many of the provisions of the previous Education (General Provisions) Act 1989 and incorporates the Youth Participation in Education and Training Act 2003 ("YPET"), forming a single, key piece of legislation for the schooling sector. The new Act also provides the legislative basis for a range of recent significant government reform initiatives, including the universal availability of the preparatory year in 2007, an increase in the compulsory school age in 2008, changes to schools reporting requirements and the exchange of consistent student information across all schools.

The new Act and Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2006 new window will commence on 30 October 2006.

Parliamentary Process

The Education (General Provisions) Bill 2006 new window was introduced into Parliament on 21 April 2006. The second reading debate resumed on 26 May 2006 and then 7 June 2006. Debate was then adjourned until 8 August 2006.

Religious Instruction

The Bill had proposed an expansion of the current legislative regime to allow for instruction to be provided to State school students in both religious and other non-religious beliefs.

Following the Bill being tabled in Parliament there was growing community concern that the expansion to include instruction in other beliefs would mean that students might be exposed to non-religious belief systems that were not supported by their school community.

Accordingly it was decided not to proceed with the changes to the provision of religious instruction as proposed in the Education Bill, and to amend the Bill to re-instate the existing provisions in the current legislation. An Amendment in Committee was passed in Parliament on 8 August 2006 which means there will be no changes to the current legislative arrangements regarding religious instruction in State schools.

Consultation process

The review that led to the development of the Act involved extensive consultation, commencing with the release of the Consultation Paper, Education Laws for the Future, in October 2004 for a five month consultation period. During the consultation period, public forums were held in locations throughout the State, with stakeholders and with interested members of the public. Over 2,200 written submissions were received on the proposals in the consultation paper. In addition, an exposure draft of the Bill was released in December 2005 and comments invited by 17 March 2006.

Stakeholders including Ministerial Advisory Committees, State school principals, parent associations, unions, youth organisations and representative bodies of the Independent and Catholic schooling sectors were notified of the release of the draft Bill. Targeted meetings took place with these stakeholders and other key stakeholders, including the Religious Education Advisory Committee.

Thank you to everyone who has provided feedback during the extensive consultation strategy. This feedback provided a very important source to shape and inform the new education legislation in Queensland.

Consultation Process

In December 2005, the Government released an exposure draft of the new Education Bill new window 1.1M . As the Bill was lengthy and quite complex, an explanatory document new window 462k was also developed to assist in its interpretation.

Drafting of the Bill had been informed by the consultation processes and feedback received following the release of the Education Laws for the Future new window 241k consultation paper in October 2004. A Young Person's Guide new window 38k was released to inform young people of the aims of the review, the proposals for change and to get young peoples feedback on the proposals.

That consultation process involved statewide community and principals' sessions. In addition, further meetings were held with peak organisations and government departments. Over 2200 written submissions were received from the community and organisations. The report of the Education Laws for the Future: Overview of Consultation new window 250k provides an overview of the analysis of consultation feedback.

Legislation

The legislation that is the subject of this review is the Education (General Provisions) Act 1989 and the Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2000. You may access these documents at the government legislation website.

Education (General Provisions) Act 1989 new window
Education (General Provisions) Regulation 2000 new window
Extract - Education Laws for the Future - Relevant Legislative Provisions October 2004 new window 125k

Homework

A homework literature review was undertaken in response to community concern regarding the amount of homework expected from Queensland school students. The review sought to identify evidence of the impacts of homework on students and families and to provide advice on whether guidelines for homework would be of benefit to state schools.

The research findings will inform consultation with parents, teachers and students on the future of homework in Queensland state schools through the Education Laws for the Future consultation paper.

Homework Literature Review: Summary of key research findings new window 499k

Home Schooling

The Review of Home Schooling was commissioned by the Minister for Education in October 2002.

Home Schooling Review new window

The report, which was developed by the reviewer Bob McHugh in consultation with a wide community of interested stakeholders, examines:

the national and international data on home schooling
available information about, and estimates of, the number of families likely to be home schooling in Queensland with or without complying with the present regulatory regime
the reasons families choose home schooling
the appropriateness of present policies and practices.

The report recommends major changes to the Government's approach to home schooling, including:

recognition of home schooling as a legitimate educational choice
abolition of the requirement for a dispensation from compulsory attendance
the creation of a new regime based on registration
the provision of a range of services to support registered home schoolers to deliver effective education for their families.

Annual reporting on educational outcomes is also recommended.

Education and Training Reforms for the Future

Queensland the Smart State - Education and Training Reforms for the Future: A White Paper was released in November 2002 after five months of consultation.

The sweeping reforms are reshaping Queensland's education and training systems to cater for students' individual needs, inspire academic achievement, and equip them for the world of work.

The review of the Education General Provisions Act 1989 (EGPA) will provide the legislative foundation for the universally available prep year. We are making two important changes that give young children a head start:

introducing a non-compulsory, full-time preparatory year of education before Year 1 from 2007; and
raising the compulsory school age for Year 1 in 2008.

The following sites will help you to find out more about all the reform areas, including key timelines:

For more information you can contact the Education and Training Reforms for the Future hotline 1300 650 220; email general enquiries; or subscribe to Education Queensland's email updates.

Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian

The Commission for Children and Young People and Child Guardian recently completed the public consultation phase on its discussion paper Queensland Review of Child Labour.

The Commission's review was prompted by community concerns about a range of issues impacting children at work, including:

reports of school-aged children working excessive hours
children potentially being employed in adult entertainment
concerns for workplace conditions
health and safety concerns and issues such as bullying

If you would like further information about the review please contact Jason Kidd, Project Manager - Review of Child Labour, on 3247 5525 or 1800 688 275 (Free call).

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