We have sought your feedback on a range of amendments to the Education Act 2004 to:

• clarify school enrolment requirements
• modernise participation and attendance requirements to reflect the different methods of delivery of education and attendance at educational programs
• strengthen enrolment, attendance, and participation provisions to minimise the risk of children and young people disappearing from the education system, and
• outline requirements for distance education.

A listening report has been prepared to capture your feedback.

We recommend you read the discussion papers to learn about the reforms that were considered:

• Enrolments and attendance
• Distance education

Consultation on the amendments opened 26 April 2023 and ran for six weeks until 6 June 2023. You provided feedback on the laws in several ways:

As our education system continues to grow and evolve, we are considering a range of legislative improvements to ensure our supports remain contemporary, and reflect the needs of students, families and teaching staff now and into the future. Every child and young person deserves a great education and the life opportunities that flow from it. Schools are a reflection of our society, and it is important to ensure our schools keep up with the needs of our community. We are committed to ensuring children and young people thrive in our schools and that the systems and supports provide access to excellent, equitable and inclusive education.

The reforms to the Education Act 2004 will modernise a range of requirements in relation to enrolments, attendance and participation. A majority of these changes will apply to all public, Catholic, and Independent schools in the ACT, with some amendments only applying to public schools. Requirements for the delivery of distance education will also be developed to ensure students who access it receive a quality education program and schools have greater guidance to support its delivery.

It is anticipated that these reforms come into place in the first half of the 2025 school year.

Your feedback is being used to finalise the proposed scope for the Education Amendment Bill 2024 which will be drafted in the second half of the year.

Your views have been captured in the listening report.