School+Leaving+Age+-+What's+Happening+Nationally?

**NSW** – A child who has completed year 10 and is below the age of 17 years must continue his or her schooling unless he or she participates on a full-time basis in: a) approved education training, or b) paid work or a combination of approved education or training and paid work (the child must be above 15 years to be in employment). Parents of a child who is subject to these new provisions can be prosecuted if their child does not satisfy this requirement. **VIC** - From 1 January 2010, all Victorian students must complete Year 10. After Year 10 and until the age of 17 students must be: · in school, or registered for home schooling, OR · in approved education or training (e.g. TAFE, traineeship, apprenticeship), OR · in full-time paid employment, OR · in a combination of 1, 2 and/or 3 for a minimum of 25 hours per week ** QLD ** – Education (General Provisions) Act 2006. Compulsory participation phase. a) starts when the person stops being of compulsory school age; and b) ends when the person— i) gains a senior certificate, certificate III or certificate IV; or ii) has participated in eligible options for 2 years after the person stopped being of compulsory school age; or iii) turns 17 years.

**S.A.** The Compulsory Education Age legislation, which was implemented from the beginning of 2009, requires all young people between the ages of 16 and 17 to participate full-time in an approved learning program, which is education or training delivered through a school, university or registered training organisation, an apprenticeship or traineeship, or a combination of these. The Compulsory <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">Education Age legislation does not change the school leaving age, which remains at 16.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**W.A.** The compulsory education period for a child is as follows — <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">a) from 1 January 2008 until 31 December 2013 — <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">i) from the beginning of the year in which the child reaches the age of 6 years and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">6 months; and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">ii) until — <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: 36pt;">I) the end of the year in which the child reaches the age of 17; or <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: 36pt;">II) the child satisfies the minimum requirements for graduation from secondary school established under the //Curriculum Council Act 1997//, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">whichever happens first; <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">b) from 1 January 2014 — <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">i) from the beginning of the year in which the child reaches the age of 6 years and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">6 months; and <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">ii) until — <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 72pt;">I) the end of the year in which the child reaches the age of 17 years and 6 months; <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: 36pt;">II) the child satisfies the minimum requirements for graduation from secondary school established under the //Curriculum Council Act 1997//; or <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; text-indent: 36pt;">III) the child reaches the age of 18, <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt; text-indent: 36pt;">whichever happens first.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**TAS –** From the beginning of 2008 although the school leaving age remains at 16, after leaving Year 10 young people need to continue in education or training until they turn 17.

Options to comply with the legislation. A young person may: <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**N.T.** - Commencing in 2010 a child of compulsory school age now means a child of or above six years of age and below the minimum school leaving age. Minimum school leaving age is the age at which a child completes Year 10 or at the age of 17, whichever comes sooner. However, a child will still be of compulsory school age until age 17 even though they have completed Year 10 unless they are participating as required in one or more eligible options for a total of 25 hours per week or more.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">attend the Tasmanian Academy or Tasmanian Polytechnic;
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">attend a senior secondary college or district high school;
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">attend a non-government education or training facility;
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">undertake an apprenticeship or traineeship; or
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">participate in some combination of the above.
 * <span style="color: black; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 10pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt;">Full-time employment (for 25 hours or more per week) is recognised as a legitimate alternative and they will be automatically exempted. If their employment ceased before they turned 17, they would be required to show what they intend for the rest of the time until they do turn 17.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">**A.C.T.** – A child must remain in full-time education up to year 10, (unless they have received an Exemption Certificate.

<span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· If a child has finished year 10 and are aged under 17 years, they must be enrolled in full-time education or <span style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; font-size: 110%; line-height: normal; margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; tabstops: list 36.0pt; text-indent: -18pt;">· have approval to undertake work-related training or employment. (Students looking to undertake work-related training or employment after year 10 need to seek an Approval Statement from the ACT Department of Education and Training to ensure the training or employment meets the Department’s guidelines.)

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