Exemption from School Attendance and Enrolment

2. Exemption process – students who have completed Year 10 and will participate full-time in approved education or training and/or employment

This section describes how to manage an attendance and enrolment exemption for students who have completed Year 10 and will participate in approved education or training, or employment on a full-time basis (Ministerial Order 705 (PDF), Part 1) and who is responsible for each stage.

1. Parent/carer – Approaches the school in writing about the student seeking to leave school.
2. School – Speaks with the parents/carers and student about the:
   • student's goals, aspirations, issues and reasons for wanting to leave school (using a Career Action Plan)
   • student’s planned destination
   • possible alternatives to leaving school.
     
3. Principal – To grant an exemption, the principal must:
   • determine that the student meets the requirements for exemption
   • consider the wellbeing and development needs of the student, taking into account:
     • the student’s aspirations and reasons for wanting to leave school
     • the views of the student’s family
   • assess the likelihood that the student will complete the education or training or stay with the employer while of compulsory school age
   • consider if there are possible alternate arrangements to exemption
   • consider the best interests of the student
   • complete the Exemption from school application form (DOCX) (formerly the School Exit form).
     
     Principals should then provide a copy of the completed Transition from School form (formerly the School Exit form) and any supporting documentation (such as letter of offer from an employer) to the student and Regional Office.

Principals should note the following definitions:

Full time basis means:

• a course of education or training considered to be full time by the provider of the education or training or
• an average of at least 25 hours per week, subject to the following:
  • when computing the 25 hours, the time spent by the student in travelling to and from an education institution or employer is to be excluded and
  • normal term and public holidays of an education institution and recreation leave and other leave entitlements if the student is in employment are excluded when calculating the average number of hours spent in education, training and employment per week.

Approved education or training means:

• a course that leads to a qualification referred to in the Australian Qualifications Framework
• any other accredited course pertaining to Year 11 or 12
• a course that can be used as credit towards a Senior Secondary Certificate of Education or is a vocational education and training pathway to a Diploma referred to in the AQF, or
• the completion of education or training approved by the Secretary.