Public School excursions are undertaken to further students’ learning and social skills development outside their normal school environment. Activities conducted outside the relatively protective environment of the school site involve greater risk. Therefore particular attention must be given to the safety and welfare of all excursion participants.

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 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.

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 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 apply to all Department site managers and to Department employees in public schools who have been nominated to take charge of a recreation and/or outdoor education activity.