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 (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.

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.

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.

School facilities can be made available for community use. Applications must be approved by the principal and formalised by an agreement signed by the principal and a representative of the user group.

The Department registers home educators and evaluates their educational programs and children’s progress.