Education (General Provisions) (Extension of Primary Schools in Remote Areas) Amendment Bill 2023* (Qld)

An Act to amend the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006 for particular purposes The Parliament of Queensland enacts—

1 Short title This Act may be cited as the Education (General Provisions) (Extension of Primary Schools in Remote Areas) Amendment Act 2023.

2 Commencement This Act commences on 1 January 2025.

3 Act amended This Act amends the Education (General Provisions) Act 2006.

4 Insertion of new ch 2 , pt 3A Chapter 2— insert—

Part 3A Extension of remote State schools providing primary education

20A Definitions for part In this part— remote area of the State means an area of the State identified as remote Australia or very remote Australia in the document called 'Australian Statistical Geography Standard (ASGS) Edition 3 Remoteness Structure', published by the Australian Bureau of Statistics on its website. remote primary school means a State school— (a) that provides primary education; and (b) that is in a town— (i) in a remote area of the State; and (ii) in which no school is established at which the State provides secondary education.

20B Minister may extend education provided at remote primary schools The Minister may extend the education provided at a remote primary school to include years 7 to 10.

20C Minister must extend education provided at remote primary schools in particular circumstances (1) A local government may apply to the Minister for the Minister to extend the education provided at a remote primary school to include years 7 to 10, if the school is in the local government's local government area. (2) A local government may apply to the Minister under subsection (1) only in response to a request to do so by 1 or more residents in the local government's local government area. (3) If an application is made to the Minister under subsection (1), the Minister must extend the education provided at the remote primary school to include years 7 to 10 if at least 5 students in total intend to attend the school in those years. (4) If the Minister declines to extend the education provided at the remote primary school, the Minister must advise the local government of the decision and the reasons for the decision.