This policy sets out requirements for public schools that wish to enter into a sponsorship agreement.

This policy ensures that employees are aware of their obligations under the Working With Children Check (Criminal Record Checking) Act 2004 (the Act) and ensures that the Department maintains compliance with the Act.

This policy outlines roles and responsibilities of workplace managers and workers relating to work health and safety within the Department of Education.

Information and communication technologies are provided by the Department to enable employees and authorised third parties to satisfactorily perform their duties. It is recognised that the associated information, physical equipment, infrastructure and software is at risk of accidental or intentional loss, unauthorised manipulation or unauthorised disclosure. This policy authorises security controls to address those risks.

These procedures aim to maximise the flexibility available to school communities in the configuration of the school day within the constraints of legislation and industrial agreements. The Director General determines the days in each year on which government schools are to be open for educational instruction of students.

The Staff Conduct and Discipline policy applies to all employees of the Department of Education and describes the expectations the Department has of its employees and outlines the processes that will be implemented should an allegation of a breach be made.

The policy details the responsibilities of Department staff in relation to the creation and maintenance of records, whether in paper or electronic format. It highlights the penalties for non-compliance with the State Records Act 2000.

Animals can enrich students’ learning experiences, however schools must adhere to consistent and high quality practices for the care and use of animals. Staff are to adhere to the processes of the Schools Animal Ethics Committee for the use of animals for any scientific teaching activity and/or adhere to the processes of Agricultural Education for the use of animals on school farms.

The policy requires all employees to manage risks. It provides guidance on risk management and business continuity planning by integrating risk identification, assessment and reporting into everyday operations.

This policy explains what ‘duty of care’ means, how teaching staff may discharge their duty of care to students, and circumstances in which non-teaching staff, external providers and volunteers may owe students a duty of care.