Page 1933 - Week 07 - Thursday, 13 August 2020
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I am pleased to note that whilst this government has a somewhat patchy record of consultation when it matters and with whom it affects, in this instance the sectors to whom these changes apply are happy with the consultations they have had and are comfortable with the amendments proposed here.
In essence, there are four main areas of change: the first relates to regulations under which boarding schools operate. In the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse it was noted that the ACT’s Education Act did not explicitly outline child safe standards for boarding schools and that ACT schools were, theoretically, not required to abide by conditions relating to the operation of boarding facilities more generally. The amendment will ensure that boarding facilities will be regulated under the Australian Standard, boarding standard for Australian schools and residences.
As we know, there are two schools in the ACT with boarding facilities—Canberra Grammar School and Canberra Girls Grammar School. The minister’s office assures me that the ACT government is not contemplating a state boarding school; however, all schools are included in this amendment for the sake of completeness.
The scrutiny of bills committee report 48 has commented on the use of Australian standards:
The Committee is concerned that the bill will regulate the provision of boarding facilities through reference to an Australian Standard which is not registered on the Legislation Register and is not otherwise available other than by paying a fee to a non-government organisation. As the Committee has repeatedly emphasized, the delegation of legislative authority to non-government bodies, including Standards Australia, requires justification.
The committee asked for a response from the minister and I understand that the minister has or will be doing that and also moving an amendment to the explanatory statement attached to the bill.
Notwithstanding the concerns outlined by the scrutiny of bills committee, it is important to note that the non-government schools sector is pleased to have those regulations backed by reference to those standards now included in the Education Act to add transparency and certainty to the standards under which they operate their boarding facilities.
The second group of changes relates to fee waivers for international students, under certain conditions. The proposed amendment mandates that the minister for education must waive fees for international students in certain humanitarian and financial hardship circumstances. It is not a waiver of fees for all international students.
ACT schools have a number of overseas enrolments, some because families from a number of countries see Australia as a quality education system and a good place for their children to grow up. Other children are enrolled in ACT schools because their parents are here for diplomatic or academic purposes. Others may be a member of a refugee family and fees could well be beyond their financial means. Under these
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