Education and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026
Plain English Summary
Overview
This omnibus bill changes Queensland's education and arts laws. It reforms how non-state schools are accredited, creates a legal framework for re-engaging disengaged students and for schools in youth detention, lets Queensland schools deliver the QCE overseas, and changes the boards of the state's five arts bodies while introducing a ban on reselling Queensland Performing Arts Centre tickets above 10% of face value.
Who it affects
It most directly affects non-state schools and their boards, disengaged students and their families, young people in youth detention, arts statutory body members, and anyone who buys or resells tickets to shows at the Queensland Performing Arts Centre.
Re-engaging disengaged students
The bill creates a formal framework for programs that help children and young people who are not at school re-engage with education, training or work. The department or named non-government providers can run these programs, and personal information can be shared without consent to refer a student in and support their return to school.
- Recognises 'education re-entry and transition service programs' in law and exempts participating students from compulsory schooling enforcement while enrolled
- Names the eligible providers, including Save the Children Australia (54 Reasons), Queensland Youth Services and three other organisations
- Allows the department to share and obtain student information to arrange referrals and support a safe return to school
- Creates a confidentiality offence with a maximum penalty of 50 penalty units for misusing that information
Non-state school accreditation and temporary sites
The Non-State Schools Accreditation Board gets a more flexible, risk-based way to assess changes to a school's accreditation, and all non-state schools (not just special assistance schools) will be able to operate from a temporary site when an emergency such as a natural disaster makes their usual site unsafe.
- Lets the Board run a simpler, targeted assessment when a school changes an accreditation attribute instead of a full reassessment
- Allows any non-state school to use a temporary site during an emergency event and clarifies accreditation continues during the process
- Gives the Board a power to delegate functions (except core decisions like accreditation and funding eligibility)
- Enables the Board to share regulatory decisions with the Department of Education and allows the Minister to issue a statement of expectations
Schools in youth detention
Education delivered to young people in youth detention centres is given clear legal status as a state educational institution, resolving uncertainty about who can teach there.
- Recognises education and training centres in detention centres as state educational institutions
- Confirms approved teachers working in these centres do not need a blue card or exemption card
- Clarifies these centres operate alongside, not in place of, the Youth Justice Act 1992
International delivery of the QCE
Queensland non-state schools, including grammar schools, will be able to partner with overseas schools to deliver the Queensland Certificate of Education, with the QCAA taking over approval and oversight of these arrangements.
- Makes the QCAA the authority that approves and oversees overseas schools delivering the QCE
- Lets non-state schools enter commercial partnerships with overseas schools to deliver the QCE
- Allows the QCAA to charge fees to cover the cost of approval and oversight
Arts bodies governance and QPAC ticket scalping
The bill changes board governance across the State Library, Queensland Art Gallery, Queensland Museum, Queensland Performing Arts Trust and Queensland Theatre Company, and makes it an offence to resell tickets to Queensland Performing Arts Centre shows above 10% of face value.
- Bans reselling a QPAC ticket for more than 10% above the original price, with fines up to 135 penalty units for individuals and 680 for corporations (non-profit fundraising is exempt)
- Introduces criminal history checks and disclosure duties for arts board members, with penalties up to 100 penalty units
- Standardises board appointment, leave, committee and reporting rules across the five arts Acts
- Replaces fixed-dollar criminal history check fees with the actual police fee, published online
Bill Journey
▸Committee23 Apr 2026View Hansard
Referred to Education, Arts and Communities Committee
5 members · Chair: Nigel Hutton
The Education and Other Legislation Amendment Bill 2026 was referred to the Education, Arts and Communities Committee on 23 April 2026. The committee's inquiry is ongoing and it has not yet tabled a report on the bill. As a result, no findings, recommendations or position on whether the bill should pass are available at this time.
Committee report tabled
Referenced Entities
Legislation
Organisations
Programs & Schemes
Sectors Affected
Classified using AGIFT/ANZSIC Australian government standards
Source Documents
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