Legislative Reform – Major changes – the Bill at a Glance
Our education system could experience the biggest legislative change in 40 years if the draft of the new Education and Children’s Services Bill 2016 [2017] is accepted. The Bill which would replace the Education Act 1972 and the Children’s Services Act 1985 includes changes to provide students with support services, address increased violence in schools, better manage truancy, and increase ease of information sharing to ensure children get the best start in life.
Harsher penalties would be put in place in a bid to address the issue of increased aggression in schools, by both parents and students. The legislation would also increase fines and provide the ability to ban those who trespass on school premises for up to 3 months.
Truancy would be addressed by increasing penalties for non-attendance (truancy), the requirement for parents to provide a valid reason for a child’s absence within 5 days and a new family conference arrangement.
The transition process between government and non-government schools will be made easier by updating the manner in which schools share information about student progress and development with parents and each other.
Overall, the changes look positive and aim to deal with some very difficult issues that staff in non-government schools are currently facing. The bill is currently at the third reading phase in parliament so watch this space to see if it gets through.
