DEPARTMENT OF EDUCATION
DISCUSSION STARTER 5: SCHOOL ENROLMENT, ATTENDANCE
AND YOUTH PARTICIPATION
Children are of compulsory school age in the Northern Territory (NT) if they are at least 6 years of age
but below the minimum school leaving age, which is the earlier of when they complete Year 10, or turn
17. When a child completes Year 10, they enter a compulsory participation phase until they turn 17.
This means they must participate full-time in education, training, employment, or a combination of these
options, until they turn 17 years old.
Requirements
Current situation in the Northern Territory
In 2011, amendments to the Education Act (the Act) provided for new offences relating to noncompliance with enrolment, attendance, and participation requirements. The capacity to issue
infringement notices for offences was introduced, and the power to require parents to attend a
compulsory conference to deal with enrolment, attendance, and participation issues was established. A
child of or above 14 years, who lives independently of their parents, was also made responsible for their
own conduct by creating provisions and offences for non-compliance with the Act.
Experience since the changes came into effect has shown that further reforms may be beneficial. For
example, it may be useful to include provisions to accommodate different models and places of
education delivery, the needs of some student groups, and to monitor participation post Year 10.
Provisions relating to enrolment, attendance, and youth participation could be retained and refined.
Options for reform
Options for reform include:
 amending the definition of ‘attendance at school’ to facilitate and mandate attendance at a
location other than a traditional school campus. For example, an engagement centre
 further defining the meaning of ‘complete Year 10’
 requiring government and non-government schools to notify the Department of Education when a
student who has completed Year 10, but not yet turned 17, ceases to be enrolled
 requiring parents to notify the Department of Education of changes to their child’s participation
arrangements post completion of Year 10
 providing for a child living independently to self-enrol
 requiring government and non-government schools to maintain a register of all enrolments with
appropriate notations where a child ceases to be enrolled
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Do you think existing provisions relating to enrolment and attendance are adequate? Why?

Should ‘completion of Year 10’ be defined to better meet the needs of students and
accommodate exceptional circumstance? Why?

Do you think the listed options for reform will enhance provisions in the Act? Why/why not?
 Are there other reform options that should be considered in a new Act? Please specify.
REFORM OF THE EDUCATION ACT (NT) – DISCUSSION STARTER FOR CONSULTATION
Zoning
Current situation in the Northern Territory
Government schools in the NT currently have no legislative basis to decline the enrolment of a student.
Enrolment is managed through a policy relating to school catchment areas, and school capacity. Given
the significant population growth in some areas of the Territory, the current policy may benefit from
legislative backing considering the need to ensure sufficient places are available for local students, and
the importance of not overloading facilities and resources.
What is happening in other places?
Legislation in most Australian jurisdictions provides for a child to be enrolled at their designated local
school, subject to the local school being able to meet the child’s educational needs. Some jurisdictions
also specify that subject to meeting other conditions of enrolment, a child may enrol at a government
school other than their designated local school if there is sufficient capacity.
In New Zealand, instead of allowing popular schools to expand, the government requires schools to
implement an enrolment scheme. This approach ensures that the selection of applicants is carried out
in a fair and transparent manner, and that local students are given priority.1
NT government schools would continue to accept enrolments from those living in their catchment area.
Options for reform
Options for reform include:
 establishing a legislative basis for intake areas and zoning
 providing the ability to enrol outside the designated zoning area if a school has capacity
 providing a basis for schools to refuse enrolment where the school cannot meet the particular
education requirements of a student, or there is not capacity to take an extra out-of-zone student
 creating a statutory cap or limit to the entitlement to government school education.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Do you think zoning is an effective way to ensure appropriate utilisation of schools? Why?

Do you think principals should be able to decline enrolment when there is insufficient capacity for
additional students or to meet the educational needs of a particular student? Why?

Should the entitlement to education be capped? Why/why not?
 If you agree that the entitlement should be capped, how should the cap be determined?
Vocational education and training in schools
Current situation in the Northern Territory
The Act does not provide a basis for a student to undertake a school-based apprenticeship.
It would be beneficial to provide for vocational education and training (VET) to be a legitimate school
education pathway for a child of compulsory school age.
1
New Zealand Ministry of Education website, Enrolment Schemes, viewed on 1 October 2013
http://www.minedu.govt.nz/NZEducation/EducationPolicies/Schools/SchoolOperations/PlanningAndReporting/EnrolmentSch
emes.aspx
DISCUSSION STARTER 5: SCHOOL ENROLMENT, ATTENDANCE AND YOUTH PARTICIPATION -
2
-
Options for reform
Options for reform include:
 making it clear that where a student is participating in a school-based apprenticeship the student
is deemed to be attending school, and is not breaching provisions relating to the employment of
children of compulsory school age
 establishing a statutory basis for school-based VET and structured work placements
 specifying that students on work experience or work placement are not employees or workers for
the purposes of other relevant legislation
 providing for registered training organisations to deliver VET in a school context.
WHAT DO YOU THINK?

Do you think the reform options relating to school-based VET are a good idea? Why/why not?
 Are there are other legislative reform options that should be considered? Please specify.
DISCUSSION STARTER 5: SCHOOL ENROLMENT, ATTENDANCE AND YOUTH PARTICIPATION
-
3
-