The required period for notice of strike action will increase from three to seven days
The government has introduced to Parliament the Education and Training Amendment Bill (No 2), which seeks to ensure schools prioritise achievement and improve the education system and the future workforce.
“We have an unrelenting focus on lifting student achievement and attendance so parents can have confidence their child has the foundations to succeed,” said Education Minister Erica Stanford.
The legislation aims to help develop a curriculum rich in knowledge and grounded in the science of learning, give parents more time to prepare for planned union strikes, and ensure that initial teacher education, teacher discipline, and competence processes fulfill their purposes.
According to the government’s news release, the amendments will:
Other proposed amendments will introduce changes to the provisions on issuing principal eligibility criteria, the requirement to charge schools an international student fee, and the allocation of national student numbers to researchers.
“The basic premise of our flagship Stepped Attendance Response (STAR) is that no child is left behind,” said Associate Education Minister David Seymour. “The Bill will support the STAR by making it mandatory for schools to have their own attendance management plan in place by Term 1 of 2026.”
Seymour noted that 67% of schools have already adopted some form of STAR.
“If we want better social outcomes, we can’t keep ignoring the truancy crisis. This government has set itself bold targets to address attendance, and it’s a bold approach that is needed for the future,” Seymour said.
