School Community Work

Hours and duration of school community work

School community work should be undertaken within Victorian school term dates as determined by the Minister for Education.

It should also be undertaken within school hours, unless the host organisation is:

• a business, trade or occupation run for profit, and
• subject to the Child Employment Act 2003 (Vic)

The duration of school community work must be approved by the principal and should not affect the student’s schoolwork, health, safety or welfare.

The Department does not recommend that school community work be performed outside school hours and/or outside the dates of the Victorian school term. However, if this is to occur, the student’s parent/carer must be consulted and, before approving the placement, the principal must be satisfied that:

• there is an appropriate school staff member who will be the contact person during the time that school community work is to be carried out
• all matters raised in this guidance material have been properly addressed

If the principal is not satisfied that these matters can be properly addressed, the principal should not consent to the school community work arrangement.

Any school community work not approved by the principal becomes a volunteering arrangement that is entirely the responsibility of the student and their parent/carer. In such cases, the principal should clearly communicate to the student and their parent/carer that this is the case.

Students under 15 years of age

If the student is younger than 15 and the host organisation is a business, trade or occupation run for profit, the Child Employment Act 2003 imposes the following restrictions:

• a maximum of 3 hours per day and 12 hours per week of school community work at any time during school term
• if school community work is undertaken outside of school term, it must not exceed 6 hours per day and 30 hours per week
• school community work must not start earlier than 6am or sunrise — whichever is the later, and
• school community work must not be carried out later than 6pm or sunset — whichever is the earlier, if it involves street trading, or 9pm in any other case

If the student is younger than 15, the host organisation is not-for-profit and the school community work is undertaken in a public place — including door-to-door fundraising, the work must not:

• start earlier than 6am or sunrise — whichever is the later
• conclude later than 6pm or sunset — whichever is the earlier, unless the student is accompanied by an adult

The host organisation must supervise the student at all times during school community work, regardless of the location, time and/or nature of the school community work, as written on the Victorian Government School Arrangement Form for School Community Work (DOC).

The requirement for student supervision applies equally to for-profit and not-for-profit organisations.