Grammar Schools Bill 2016

Introduced: 16/8/2016By: Hon K Jones MPStatus: PASSED with amendment

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Plain English Summary

Overview

This bill replaces Queensland's 1975 grammar schools law with modern legislation covering the eight grammar schools at Brisbane, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Townsville. It modernises board governance, cuts financial red tape, and permanently closes the door on new grammar schools being created.

Who it affects

Mainly grammar school board members, staff, donors, and the parents of the roughly 10,000 students at the eight schools. Other private schools using 'grammar' in their name face fines unless they are one of two grandfathered exceptions.

Key changes

Grammar school boards can grow from 7 to up to 9 members, with boards choosing the two extra Ministerial nominees
Prospective and current board members can be required to consent to a police criminal history check, with up to a 100 penalty unit fine for leaking that information
Prescriptive financial rules are scrapped in favour of the general Financial Accountability Act 2009 and Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982
No new grammar schools can ever be created under this Act - the existing eight are it
Other schools face fines of up to 200 penalty units for using 'grammar' in their name, with grandfathered exemptions for Anglican Church Grammar School and Sunshine Coast Grammar School
Board members who consent to unlawful borrowing become personally and jointly liable to repay the money plus 12% interest

How this affects you

Education

•If your child is at one of Queensland's eight grammar schools, board members now need skills in areas like governance, finance, law or education before they can be appointedClause 14(5)The Minister must be satisfied a nominee has sufficient understanding of grammar school legislation and relevant skills before nominating them.
•Grammar school boards can grow to up to 9 members, with the board itself choosing the two extra people the Minister nominatesClause 14(1)-(2)A board may request the Minister nominate up to two additional members chosen by the board.
•Parents of grammar school students must be told before an administrator is appointed to take over the school's boardClause 42The Minister must take reasonable steps to notify parents of students at the school about the proposed appointment before publishing the gazette notice.
•No new grammar schools can be established under this law - the existing eight in Brisbane, Ipswich, Rockhampton, Toowoomba and Townsville are the only onesClause 6The Act names the eight grammar schools and removes the previous Act's power to establish additional grammar schools.

Government & Elections

•The Minister can request police criminal history checks on grammar school board members, but only with their written consentClause 21The Minister may ask the Commissioner of the police service for a criminal history report on a person, but only with that person's written consent, and must destroy the report when no longer needed.
•Leaking a board member's criminal history information is an offence carrying a fine of up to 100 penalty unitsClause 22A person who possesses a criminal history report must not disclose it except in limited circumstances; maximum penalty 100 penalty units.
•Schools other than the eight named grammar schools face fines of up to 200 penalty units for calling themselves a 'grammar' school, unless they are the Anglican Church Grammar School or Sunshine Coast Grammar SchoolClauses 51 and 69A person must not establish or operate a non-grammar school under a name that includes 'grammar' or hold one out to be a grammar school; maximum penalty 200 penalty units, with grandfathered exemptions for two named schools.
•Red tape is cut by removing duplicative financial rules and relying on the general laws that govern all Queensland statutory bodiesClause 10Boards are statutory bodies under the Financial Accountability Act 2009 and Statutory Bodies Financial Arrangements Act 1982, and prescriptive requirements from the 1975 Act (separate fund accounts, borrowing procedures, audit rules) are not carried over.

Bill Journey

Introduced16 Aug 2016

First Reading

Committee

Committee Report27 Sept 2016

Committee report tabled

Second Reading

In Detail

Third Reading

Royal Assent20 Oct 2016

Referenced Entities

Sectors Affected

School Education Public Administration

Classified using AGIFT/ANZSIC Australian government standards

Grammar Schools Bill 2016

Plain English Summary

Overview

Who it affects

Key changes

Bill Journey

Referenced Entities

Legislation

Organisations

Places

Roles & Offices

Sectors Affected

Source Documents