Exemption from School Attendance and Enrolment

4 Exemption process — Students employed or seeking employment during school hours in the entertainment industry

This section describes the stages in managing an attendance exemption for students employed or seeking employment during school hours in the entertainment industry (Ministerial Order 714) and who is responsible for each stage.

1. Parent or carer —Approach the school in writing.
2. Principal — Consults the parents/carers and student about:
   • the effect of exemption
   • identification of alternate arrangements to exemption.
     
     For further guidance, refer to Guidelines to exempt students from school for employment in the entertainment industry
     
3. Parent or carer:
   • Complete the Parental Consent to Employment of Child application form, available on the Business Victoria website, at Forms - Parental Consent to Employment of Child
   • Complete the Application form for school exemption for work in the entertainment industry available on the Business Victoria website
   • Submit the forms to the Principal
     
4. Employer — If the student is under 15 years of age, an Application for Child Employment Permit form (which requires principal endorsement) needs to be completed
   • This completed form needs to be forwarded by the employer to the Department of State Development, Business and Innovation. Refer to Business Victoria — Apply for a child employment permit — Entertainment industry
     
5. Principal — To grant an exemption, the Principal must:
   • determine that the student meets the requirements for exemption
   • assess whether the exemption would adversely affect the student’s education, taking into account:
     • the short and long term benefits to the student;
     • the student’s educational needs, attitudes and employment prospects; and
     • the views of the student’s family
   • consider if there are possible alternate arrangements to exemption; and
   • if the exemption is from both enrolment and attendance at school, complete the Transition from School form (formerly the School Exit form).
     A copy of the decision to grant an exemption must be provided in writing to the student, and the relevant Regional Director, or, in relation to the decision of a Principal of a Catholic school, the Diocesan Director, Catholic Education Office within 7 days of the exemption being granted.
     
     Note: Where a principal assesses that the proposed employment will adversely affect the student’s education the application should not be endorsed.
     
     If the Principal refuses to grant an exemption, a notice of the decision of the Principal must be provided to the relevant Regional Director or Diocesan Director, within 7 days of the exemption being refused.
     
     A decision to refuse an exemption is subject to review and final determination by the relevant Regional Director or Diocesan Director, within 14 days of receipt of notice of the decision by the Principal.