The Department of Education (the Department) supports high quality, ethical research where the findings have the potential to inform decision making and contribute to improvements in school education policy, staff competency, operational practices, student and staff wellbeing or student achievement and progress.

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.

The Department of Education recognises and supports the diverse needs of all students. This policy is to establish school processes to identify, provide for, monitor and report on students who may be at educational risk.

This policy provides the mandatory framework for school decision making about promoting and maintaining positive student behaviour, as well as responding to student misconduct.

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 procedure 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.

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.

Details the approval process for external parties wanting to conduct research on Department sites and information requirements for research projects regarding consent, participation, withdrawal, required checks and confidentiality.

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 Department of Education undertakes advertising in schools in accordance with the mandatory requirements for Western Australian Government agencies.