Division 313 Courses of study in key learning areas
The general description of the courses of study for students in Kindergarten to Year 10 which may be chosen in a key learning area in order to comply with this Part and the key learning area to which any such course is allocated are to be determined by the Minister on the recommendation of the Board.
(1) The Board may, for the purposes of this Part, develop syllabuses for courses of study or endorse syllabuses developed by schools or other educational bodies.(2) The Minister may approve particular syllabuses developed by the Board and may give a general approval for syllabuses endorsed by the Board.(3) Any syllabus developed or endorsed by the Board for a particular course of study is to indicate the aims, objectives and desired outcomes in terms of knowledge and skills that should be acquired by children at various levels of achievement by the end of specified stages in the course, and any practical experience that children should acquire by the end of any such stage.(4) Any syllabus developed or endorsed by the Board for a particular course of study may indicate generally the period of time that should be allocated to the teaching of the course, but is not to make a specific period of time mandatory.
15 Disagreement between Minister and Board
(1) This section applies to a recommendation of the Board relating to:(a) the school curriculum, or(b) the nature or content of the recognised certificates, or(c) the nature of the assessment or examination process leading to the award of the recognised certificates.(2) If the Minister does not approve any recommendation of the Board to which this section applies, the Board may request the Minister (and if so the Minister is required) to make public, as soon as practicable (but within 21 days), the Minister’s decision not to approve the recommendation and the reasons for the decision.
16 Additional courses of study and other activities
The total activities of children in any Year are not limited to the courses of study required for any minimum or other curriculum under this Part, but additional courses of study and other activities may be provided for the children.
17 Additional curriculum requirements for government schools
(1) The Minister may determine additional curriculum requirements for children attending government schools.(2) Any such additional requirement does not constitute part of the minimum curriculum for schools providing primary or secondary education or an additional requirement for being a candidate for the School Certificate or Higher School Certificate.
(1) In this section:basic skills testing means a test of the basic skills of children (such as literacy and numeracy), but does not include a test relating to the teaching of a particular course of study.
(2) The Minister is to arrange for the conduct of basic skills testing in such government schools and at such times as the Minister may determine.(3) The Minister may, at the request of a non-government school, arrange for the conduct of basic skills testing in the school.(4), (5) (Repealed)
18A Publication of school results
(1) In this section:relevant national agreement means an agreement between the State and the Commonwealth that gives effect to a national protocol or arrangement for the provision and publication of school results.
school results means the following results (whether they are the results of individuals or of schools or any other results):
(a) results of national basic skills testing (including testing under section 18),(b) results of School Certificate and Higher School Certificate examinations and related assessments,(c) results of annual or other periodic assessments of the academic performance of students contained in reports to parents on student achievement.The regulations may determine whether particular results are or are not results referred to in paragraphs (a)–(c).(2) School results may, in accordance with a relevant national agreement, be provided by the State to the Commonwealth or to an authority established by the Commonwealth.(3) School results must not be publicly revealed in a way that ranks or otherwise compares the results of particular schools, except as authorised by or under a relevant national agreement.(4) A person must not, in a newspaper or other document that is publicly available in this State:(a) publish any ranking or other comparison of particular schools according to school results, except with the permission of the principals of the schools involved, or(b) identify a school as being in a percentile of less than 90 per cent in relation to school results, except with the permission of the principal of the school.Maximum penalty: 50 penalty units in the case of an individual and 500 penalty units in any other case.
(5) Nothing in subsection (4) prohibits:(a) anything authorised to be done by or under a relevant national agreement, or(b) the publication of the ranking of the schools in the top 10 per cent in relation to the results of Higher School Certificate examinations and related assessments so long as the information used to determine that ranking is information as to the results of students that may be publicly revealed under subsection (6) (c).(6) School results must not be publicly revealed if the results of an identified student are revealed, except as follows:(a) to the student or to the student’s parents, or to anyone with the student’s or parent’s consent,(b) to the principal of a school (including a school in another State or Territory) at which the student is enrolling, is enrolled or was previously enrolled,(c) in the case of results of School Certificate or Higher School Certificate examinations and related assessments—by or with the approval of the Board, by way of the publication of the results of students who the Board considers have achieved outstanding results.(7) The functions of the State under this section may be exercised by the Director-General or, if authorised by a relevant national agreement, by a State educational authority that arranges the testing, examinations or assessments concerned.(8) This section has effect despite any other Act or law or the decision of any tribunal.