Released 19/02/2019
The ACT Government is strengthening child safety laws in ACT schools and bringing more clarity to the responsibilities of people caring for our students, under new amendments passed in the Legislative Assembly today.
The ACT Government has listened and learned from the recent Future of Education conversation, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and the Glanfield Review, for ways to better protect children and young people in the ACT.
The amended ACT Teacher Quality Institute Act 2010 enhances the robustness of the teacher registration process to protect child safety and welfare. This will require employers to provide more information about a teacher, including conduct and disciplinary action, to the Teacher Quality Institute before a teacher is registered.
Amendments to the Act also strengthen the requirements around Working with Vulnerable People registration as a condition of their teaching status, ensuring that teachers always maintain up to date registration if they wish to continue teaching.
The Education Act has been amended to require non-government schools to implement the recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. As part of the agreed Royal Commission recommendations, the government will provide clarity on the criteria and conditions that non-government schools must meet to be registered as a non-government school in the ACT.
The government will also enhance the safety and protection of children by enabling better cross-jurisdictional sharing of information about children and young people experiencing or at risk of family violence. If a child is unenrolled from school in the ACT and there are concerns for their wellbeing, the Education Directorate will confirm the move with the family and confirm enrolment in the new jurisdiction to make sure they stay connected.
As the government’s Future of Education Strategy is implemented some big changes to our education system identified in it will be supported through legislation. This important work has now begun, starting with a focus on child safety in ACT schools.
The ACT Government believes every child deserves to be safe and have access to a great education. Both government and non-government education systems must protect the safety and welfare of all children and support them to overcome and achieve.
- Statement ends -
Yvette Berry, MLA | Media Releases
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