Education (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) Act 2014

This Act may be cited as the Education (Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority) Act 2014.

This Act commences on a day to be fixed by proclamation.

The objects of this Act are—

to help schools to achieve quality learning outcomes for their students; and

to help approved providers of education and care services to achieve quality learning outcomes for children who attend the services; and

to provide accurate and informative records of student achievement, including through the production of certificates of achievements and statements of results; and

to maintain public confidence in certificates of achievement and statements of results developed and administered by the authority.

The dictionary in schedule 1 defines particular words used in this Act.

The Queensland Curriculum and Assessment Authority (the authority) is established.

The authority—

is a body corporate; and

has a common seal; and

may sue and be sued in its corporate name.

The authority represents the State.

Without limiting subsection (1), the authority has the status, privileges and immunities of the State.

The authority is—

a statutory body under the FA Act; and

a statutory body under the SBFA Act.

The SBFA Act, part 2B sets out the way in which the authority’s powers under this Act are affected by the SBFA Act.

The authority may perform its functions inside or outside Queensland including outside Australia.

The authority has the following functions relating to syllabuses for senior subjects—

developing and revising syllabuses;

purchasing and revising syllabuses developed by another entity.

Note—

If the authority performs a function under this provision, it must give notice under section 88(1)(a).

In developing a syllabus for a senior subject for which there is an Australian curriculum, the authority must adopt the Australian curriculum content and standards of achievement for the subject as the basis for developing the syllabus.

The authority has the following functions relating to syllabuses for P–10 subjects for which there are no Australian curricula—

developing and revising syllabuses;

purchasing and revising syllabuses developed by another entity.

Note—

If the authority performs a function under this provision, it must give notice under section 88(1)(a).

The authority has the following functions relating to kindergarten guidelines—

developing and revising guidelines;

purchasing and revising guidelines developed by another entity;

accrediting, for implementation in education and care services, guidelines developed by another entity.

Note—

If the authority performs a function under this provision, it must give notice under section 88(3).

The authority has the function of supporting schools and approved providers of education and care services in implementing—

a syllabus the authority develops, purchases or substantially revises; or

an Australian curriculum; or

a kindergarten guideline the authority accredits, develops, purchases or substantially revises.

The function mentioned in subsection (1)—

is performed primarily by the authority giving school authorities and approved providers, or their nominees, information about the content and purpose of the syllabus, Australian curriculum or kindergarten guideline; and

may be performed by the authority—

providing resources to support the implementation of the syllabus, Australian curriculum or kindergarten guideline; or

developing resources and providing services for the professional development of teachers or education and care services staff.

The authority has the function mentioned in subsection (1)(a) and (b) for recognised schools.

In this section—

school authority means—

for a recognised school—the governing body of the recognised school; or

for a State school—the chief executive; or

for a non-State school—the governing body of the school.