The NSW Minister for Education, Adrian Piccoli, has signalled his intention to introduce legislation that will force public schools in NSW to comply with the same registration standards currently enforced upon non-government schools.

In an article published by the Sydney Morning Herald Minister Piccoli was quoted as saying that all schools in NSW, private and public, “should be on the same footing” with government schools to be independently assessed by the Board of Studies, Teaching & Education Standards (BOSTES) and subject to random audits.

Whilst this might seem like an obvious proposition, until now government schools have not had to meet registration and accreditation requirements imposed by BOSTES.  This means that, unlike non-government schools, they have not been subject to inspections to ensure staff are qualified, buildings are maintained and the curriculum is being delivered.

This news is sure to be met with support by parents of children at government schools.

Currently non-government schools are required to apply for re-registration at least once every five (5) years and are subject to site visits during which they must satisfy BOSTES that they comply with their requirements under the Education Act.  This means introducing detailed policies and procedures as well as risk management and compliance programs.

Although the new law is yet to be passed by the NSW Parliament, it’s hard to believe that any side of politics would have valid reasons to block its implementation. Ultimately, it’s the students that will benefit the most from the new legislation and improvements in governance standards that will hopefully follow.