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.

These procedures 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.

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.

Criminal history screening is the process of gathering relevant information to assist in making an informed decision about a person’s suitability for employment or continued employment with the Department.

The School Education Act 1999 requires all enrolled student to attend school or participate in an educational program of the school. Principals are required to record and monitor student attendance and develop appropriate strategies to restore attendance for students with persistent absence.