Education (General Provisions) (Extension of Primary Schools in Remote Areas) Amendment Bill 2023*

An Act to amend the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 for particular purposes

1Short title

This Act may be cited as the Education (General Provisions) (Extension of Primary Schools in Remote Areas) Amendment Act 2023.

2Commencement

This Act commences on 1 January 2025.

3Act amended

This Act amends the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006.

4Insertion of new ch 2, pt 3A

Chapter 2—
insert—

Part 3A Extension of remote State schools providing primary education

20ADefinitions for part

In this part—

remote area of the State means an area of the State identified as remote Australia or very remote Australia in the document called ‘Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 Remoteness Structure’, published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on its website.

remote primary school means a State school—

(a)that provides primary education; and

(b)that is in a town—

(i)in a remote area of the State; and

(ii)in which no school is established at which the State provides secondary education.

20BMinister may extend education provided at remote primary schools

The Minister may extend the education provided at a remote primary school to include years 7 to 10.

20CMinister must extend education provided at remote primary schools in particular circumstances

(1)A local government may apply to the Minister for the Minister to extend the education provided at a remote primary school to include years 7 to 10, if the school is in the local government’s local government area.

(2)A local government may apply to the Minister under subsection (1) only in response to a request to do so by 1 or more residents in the local government’s local government area.

(3)If an application is made to the Minister under subsection (1), the Minister must extend the education provided at the remote primary school to include years 7 to 10 if at least 5 students in total intend to attend the school in those years.

(4)If the Minister declines to extend the education provided at the remote primary school, the Minister must advise the local government of the decision and the reasons for the decision.

20DChief executive and local government to establish remote secondary learning facility

(1)This section applies if a local government makes an application to the Minister under section 20C in relation to a remote primary school and the Minister declines to extend the education provided at the school.

(2)The chief executive and the local government must establish a remote secondary learning facility for years 7 to 10 in the town in which the remote primary school is located.

(3)The purpose of a remote secondary learning facility is to support students enrolled in a program of distance education for years 7 to 10 through tutoring by teacher aides.

5Amendment of sch 4 (Dictionary)

Schedule 4—
insert—

remote area of the State, for chapter 2, part 3A, see section 20A.

remote primary school, for chapter 2, part 3A, see section 20A.