In 2023 we are celebrating 50 years of public education in the ACT. This milestone recognises the anniversary of responsibility for administering ACT public schools transferring from the Australian Government to the ACT.
Over the past 50 years, the ACT has been a bold and ambitious leader of progressive education reform in Australia, particularly in relation to student voice and the prioritisation of equity.
In 2023, the ACT continues to build on this approach with equity-focused reforms. Our vibrant public education system now provides excellent education to over 50,000 students. The children and young people in our education system are creative, resilient, and capable of incredible learning and growth. We know that it is our responsibility as a Directorate and a community to help them to achieve their boldest dreams.
We are fortunate to have such a capable and diverse community of education professionals here in the ACT. You can see in the way our educators and school leaders respond to the diverse needs of students that they are placing students at the centre of their work. Our support staff reflect this approach, working to ensure students and educators have what they need to engage in and deliver high-quality learning.
As we near the end of Phase Two of the Future of Education Strategy implementation, we continue to collaboratively deliver on our strategic objectives centred on the principles of equity, agency, access, and inclusion.
Improving the learning experience of every child and young person in our system through engaging and high-quality teaching remains a significant focus across the Directorate.
We start by proactively creating safe, supportive, and inclusive learning environments for all students and staff as this is essential for learning. Alongside this work, we are improving the support systems and professional development provided to our expert educators.
We continue to see evidence reinforce our understanding that quality early childhood education gives children the best start in life. Set up for Success: An Early Childhood Strategy for the ACT continues to guide our approach, particularly as we work towards providing universal access to quality early childhood education for all three-year-olds in the ACT.
Our Strategic Plan 2022-2025 has helped us to collectively review our ways of working and set a clear direction. Our vision is that every child and young person will receive an excellent education, delivered and supported by highly skilled and valued professionals. The Strategic Plan also confirmed our mission which is to collaboratively lead and deliver excellent, inclusive and equitable education where all are safe, valued and able to flourish.
The Directorate has as provided leadership in responding to the national teacher shortage through our Teacher Shortage Taskforce and subsequent Teacher Attraction and Retention Plan. This builds on our work ensuring that all staff are safe and valued as professionals. We continue to partner with tertiary education providers to improve initial teacher education.
The Directorate is on an important journey to improve and embed cultural integrity across all our work. We continue to make progress and have proactively worked with the community and the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Elected Body to take action to ensure all children are engaged in an excellent education.
I look forward to continuing to see the learning journeys of our children and young people unfold, and their bold aspirations be realised.
Katy Haire
Director-General
| Acronym | Explanation |
|---|---|
| ACARA | Australian Curriculum and Reporting Authority |
| ACAT | ACT Civil and Administrative Tribunal |
| ACER | Australian Council of Educational Research |
| ACECQA | Australian Children’s Education and Care Quality Authority |
| ACT | Australian Capital Territory |
| ACTGOV | ACT Government |
| ACTIA | ACT Insurance Authority |
| ACTPA | ACT Principals’ Association |
| ACTPS | ACT Public Service |
| ACU | Australian Catholic University |
| AESOC | Australian Education Senior Officials Committee |
| AEU | Australian Education Union |
| AIS | Association of Independent Schools |
| ANU | Australian National University |
| ARENA | Australian Renewable Energy Agency |
| ASbA | Australian School-based Apprenticeship |
| ASO | Administrative Services Officer |
| ATAR | Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank |
| ATSIPP | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Procurement Policy |
| BMS | Building Management Systems |
| BSSS | ACT Board of Senior Secondary Studies |
| CECA | Children’s Education and Care Assurance |
| CEO | Chief Executive Officer |
| CIC | Cultural Integrity Coordinator |
| CIT | Canberra Institute of Technology |
| CMTEDD | Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate |
| CNG | Compressed National Gas |
| CO2-e | Carbon dioxide equivalent |
| CoP | Community of Practice |
| CORPEX | Corporate Executive |
| CPSU | Community and Public Sector Union |
| CRICOS | Commonwealth Register of Institutions and Courses for Overseas Students |
| CSD | Community Services Directorate |
| CSIRO | Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation |
| CSP | Children’s Services Program |
| DA | Development Application |
| DCC | Directorate Consultative Committee |
| DDG | Deputy Director-General |
| DG | Director-General |
| DRIS | Decision Regulatory Impact Statement |
| DSI | Director of School improvement |
| DSSC | Digital Strategy Sub-Committee |
| EA | Enterprise Agreement |
| EAL/D | English as an Additional Language or Dialect |
| EAP | Employee Assistance Program |
| ECEC | Early Childhood Education and Care |
| EDU | Education Directorate |
| EGC | Executive Governance Committee |
| EGC WSC | Executive Governance Committee Workforce Sub-Committee |
| EIP | Essential Instructional Practices |
| ELE | External Learning Environments |
| ESD | Ecologically Sustainable Development |
| ESO | Education Support Office |
| EYLF | Early Years Learning Framework |
| FMA | Financial Management Act 1992 |
| FOE | Future of Education Strategy |
| FOI | Freedom of Information |
| FTE | Full Time Equivalent |
| GHG | Greenhouse gas |
| HALT | Highly Accomplished or Lead Teacher |
| HR | Human Resources |
| HRIMS | Human Resource Information Management System |
| HRV | Heat Recovery Ventilation |
| HSR | Health and Safety Representative |
| HVAC | Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning |
| ICSEA | Index of Community Socio-educational Advantage |
| ICT | Information Communications Technology |
| ICW | Infrastructure and Capital Works Branch |
| IEO | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Education Officer |
| ILP | Individual Learning Plan |
| IMP | Instrumental Music Program |
| LLO | Legal Liaison Officer |
| LPG | Liquid Petroleum Gas |
| LSA | Learning Support Assistant |
| Maze | School administration system |
| MLA | Member of the Legislative Assembly |
| MSD | Musculoskeletal disorders |
| NAIDOC | National Aborigines and Islanders Day Observance Committee |
| NAPLAN | National Assessment Program – Literacy and Numeracy |
| NCCD | Nationally Consistent Collection of Data |
| NQF | National Quality Framework |
| NQS | National Quality Standard |
| NSIT | National School Improvement Tool |
| OeSc | Office of the eSafety Commissioner |
| OSHC | Outside School Hours Care |
| OV | Occupational Violence |
| PBL | Positive Behaviour for Learning |
| PCM | Principal Coach Mentor |
| PEA | Priority Enrolment Area |
| PLC | Professional Learning Communities |
| PPG | Placement Pathway Group |
| PSIU | Public Schools Infrastructure Upgrade |
| PSIRP | Public School Infrastructure Renewal Program |
| PSM Act | Public Sector Management Act 1994 |
| PSWHS | Public Sector Work Health, Safety and Wellbeing Strategy 2019-2022 |
| P&C | Parents and Citizens |
| RAP | Reconciliation Action Plan |
| RiskMan | ACT Public Sector Work Injury Reporting online reporting system |
| RTO | Recognised Training Organisation |
| SAIS | Safe and Inclusive Schools |
| SAMP | Strategic Asset Management Plan |
| SAS | Staff Assessment Survey |
| SASSCO | Safe and Supportive School Contact Officer |
| SEA | Socio-Educational Advantage |
| SEL | Social and Emotional Learning Programs |
| SERBIR | Senior Executive Responsible for Business Integrity Risk |
| SOA | School Operational Allocation |
| SSSP | Safe and Supportive Schools Policy |
| STEM | Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics |
| SuFS | Set up For Success Strategy |
| TFI | Tiered Fidelity Inventory |
| TPV | Territory Plan Variation |
| TQI | ACT Teacher Quality Institute |
| UC | University of Canberra |
| VEP | Vocational Employment Program |
| VET | Vocational Education and Training |
| VLO | Vocational learning options |
| WEX | Work Experience |
| WHS | Work Health and Safety |
| WHSSC | Work Health and Safety Sub-Committee |
| ZEV | Zero Emission Vehicle |
The ACT Education Directorate Annual Report 2022-23 must comply with the Annual Report Directions (the Directions) 2023 made under Section 8 of the Annual Reports (Government Agencies) Act 2004. The Directions are found at the ACT Legislation Register: www.legislation.act.gov.au
The Compliance Statement indicates the subsections, under Parts 1 to 5 of the Directions, that are applicable to the Education Directorate and the location of information that satisfies these requirements:
Part 1 Directions Overview
The requirements under Part 1 of the Directions relate to the purpose, timing and distribution, and records keeping of annual reports. The Education Directorate complies with all subsections of Part 1 under the Directions.
To meet Section 15 Feedback, Part 1 of the Directions, contact details for the Education Directorate are provided within the Education Directorate Annual Report 2022-23 to provide readers with the opportunity to provide feedback.
Part 2 Reporting entity Annual Report Requirements
The requirements within Part 2 of the Directions are mandatory for all reporting entities and the Education Directorate complies with all subsections. The information that satisfies the requirements of Part 2 is found in the Education Directorate Annual Report 2022-23 as follows:
- A. Transmittal Certificate, see page 16
- B. Organisational Overview and Performance, inclusive of all subsections, see pages 18 to 229
- C. Financial Management Report, inclusive of all subsections, see pages 230 to 343.
Part 3 Reporting by Exception
The Education Directorate has nil information to report by exception under Part 3 of the Directions from 2022-23 reporting year.
Part 4 Directorate and Public Sector Body Specific Annual Report Requirements
The following subsections of Part 4 of the Directions apply to the Education Directorate and can be found within the Education Directorate Annual Report 2022-23:
- Investigation of Complaints, see page 344
- Teacher Quality Institute, see pages 347 to 430
- Ministerial and Director-General Directions, see page 345.
Part 5 Whole of Government Annual Reporting
All subsections of Part 5 of the Directions apply to the Education Directorate.
Consistent with the Directions, the information satisfying these requirements is reported in one place for all ACT Public Services directorates, as follows:
- Bushfire Risk Management, see the annual report of the Justice and Community Safety Directorate
- Human Rights, see the annual report of the Justice and Community Safety Directorate
- Legal Services Directions, see the annual report of the Justice and Community Safety Directorate
- Public Sector Standards and Workforce Profile, see the annual State of the Service Report
- Territory Records, see the annual report of the Chief Minister, Treasury and Economic Development Directorate.
ACT Public Service directorate annual reports are found at the following web address: http://cmd.act.gov.au/open_government/report/annual_reports
The Education Directorate acknowledges the Ngunnawal people as the traditional custodians of the ACT and recognise any other people or families with connection to the lands of the ACT and region.
We also acknowledge and pay respect to the Wreck Bay peoples as traditional owners and custodians of the land on which the Jervis Bay School is located.
We respect the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people, particularly our Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander staff, and their continuing culture and contribution they make to the Canberra region and the life of our city.
The ACT Government is committed to making its information, services, events, and venues accessible to as many people as possible.
If you are deaf, or have a hearing or speech impairment, and need the telephone typewriter (TTY) service, please phone 13 36 77 and ask for 13 34 27. For speak and listen users, please phone 1300 555 727 and ask for 13 34 27. For more information on these services, contact us through the National Relay Service www.relayservice.gov.au.
If English is not your first language and you require a translating and interpreting service, please telephone Access Canberra on 13 22 81.
ISBN: 978 0 642 60760 5
© Australian Capital Territory, Canberra 2023.
Freedom of information requests can be made by emailing EducationFOI@act.gov.au.
General enquiries about this report should be directed to ETDAnnualReport@act.gov.au.
The 2022–23 Education Directorate Annual Report is licenced under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 licence. You are free to re-use the work under that licence, on the condition that you credit the ACT Government as author, indicate if changes were made and comply with the other licence terms.
The licence does not apply to the ACT Coat of Arms, the Education Directorate logo and branding, images, artwork, photographs, and any material protected by trademark.
The form of attribution for any permitted use of any material from this report (and any material sourced from it) must be:
Source: Licenced from the ACT Government under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Australia Licence. The ACT Government does not necessarily endorse the content of this publication.
First published in October 2023.
Information about the Directorate and an electronic version of this annual report can be found on the website www.education.act.gov.au.