Education

This bill amends Queensland's main education law to reduce administrative burden on schools, parents and students, and to strengthen student safety protections. It makes transfer notes mandatory when students change schools (implementing a Royal Commission recommendation), creates a streamlined framework for online learning services in state schools, modernises P&C Association rules for multi-campus schools, and extends home education eligibility to age 18.

This bill simplifies Queensland's retail trading hours framework by reducing the number of trading area categories and strengthening protections for retail workers who do not want to work extended hours. It also makes permanent the COVID-era arrangements allowing school P&C meetings and teacher registration investigations to be conducted by video call rather than in person.

This bill reduces the QUT Council from 22 to 15 members to improve governance efficiency and align with national best practice guidelines. It cuts the number of government-appointed and elected positions while increasing Council-appointed additional members, and requires student representation to include both undergraduate and postgraduate students.

This bill makes a range of improvements to Queensland's workers' compensation scheme following a five-yearly independent review, strengthens protections for apprentices and trainees, requires Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander representation on the TAFE Queensland Board, and repeals the now-redundant Commonwealth Games Arrangements Act 2011.

This bill modernises Queensland's regulation of overseas student education, introduces statutory oversight for student exchange programs, implements the new senior assessment and ATAR system for Queensland schools, and fixes an unintended ban on Easter Saturday trading in regional towns.

This bill establishes a formal process for recognising exceptional teachers through 'Highly Accomplished Teacher' and 'Lead Teacher' certification. It empowers the Queensland College of Teachers to assess and certify teachers in State and Catholic schools against national professional standards, giving experienced educators a voluntary career pathway that does not require leaving the classroom.