The Department also works in conjunction with nine statutory bodies:
Adult, Community and Further Education Board
The Adult, Community and Further Education (ACFE) Board is a statutory authority under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. Its role is to plan and promote adult learning, allocate resources, develop policies, and advise the Minister for Higher Education and Skills on matters related to adult education in Victoria.
The Board also works with the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority and the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority.
For more information, see:
Adult Migrant English Service (AMES)
AMES is a statutory authority under the Education and Training Reform Act2006. It specialises in providing settlement, training and employment assistance to refugees and newly arrived migrants.
AMES is accountable to the Minister for Higher Education and Skills.
For more information, see: AMES
Centre for Adult Education (CAE)
The CAE is a statutory authority under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. It specialises in assisting adults to complete their secondary education and begin or change their employment pathways.
The CAE is accountable to the Minister for Higher Education and Skills.
For more information, see: CAE
Children's Services Coordination Board
The Children's Services Coordination Board brings together key decision makers across Departments to ensure coordination of activities impacting on children.
The Board comprises of the Chief Commissioner for Police and the Secretaries of the Departments of Premier and Cabinet, Treasury and Finance, Education and Early Childhood Development, Human Services, Health, Planning and Community Development and Justice.
The role of the Board is to coordinate the efforts of different programs and consider how to best deal with cross-portfolio issues and specifically to:
- Review on an annual basis the outcomes of government actions related to children, especially the most vulnerable
- Settle action plans for agreed cross agency collaboration
- Consider how to address other cross-government issues as required.
The Board meets at least three times a year. The Strategy and Coordination Division in the Office for Children and Portfolio Coordination provides Secretariat support to the Board.
For more information, see: Children's Services Coordination Board
Disciplinary Appeals Boards
The Disciplinary Appeals Boards hear and determine appeals in relation to decisions made by the Secretary about officers or employees in the teaching service.
The Senior Chairperson of the Disciplinary Appeals Boards is also the Senior Chairperson of the Merit Protection Boards. In this role, the Senior Chairperson administers the Disciplinary Appeals Boards and selects members to constitute the Boards as required.
The Merit Protection Boards staff provide administrative support to the Disciplinary Appeals Boards.
For more information, see: Disciplinary Appeals Boards
Merit Protection Boards
The Merit Protection Boards provide an independent mechanism to hear appeals and grievances for employees of the Department and associated education statutory authorities.
Appeals and grievances include transfer and promotion, sexual harassment and discrimination, incapacity, grievances of a general personal nature and grievances in relation to police record checks.
Appeals and grievances are heard in the metropolitan area and regional centres, as appropriate.
Through the hearing process, the Merit Protection Boards must ensure that all applicants receive fair and equitable treatment and that the principles of natural justice apply.
The Boards are generally composed of part-time members.
For more information, see: Merit Protection Boards
Victorian Children's Council
The Victorian Children's Council is an important source of advice to government on all matters relating to children aged 0-18 years in Victoria.
The Council's mandate is to be forward looking, acting as an active advisor to government on how to meet key challenges facing Victorian families and to improve child outcomes.
The Council is particularly concerned with the problems faced by children who are vulnerable and at risk of poor outcomes.
The Council is made up of recognised experts in policies and services that underpin and can improve child safety, health, development, learning and wellbeing across Victoria.
For more information, see: Victorian Children's Council
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
The Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) is an independent statutory body directly responsible to the Victorian Minister for Education, serving both government and non-government schools.
The mission of the VCAA is to provide high quality curriculum, assessment and reporting that promotes individual lifelong learning.
The VCAA provides curriculum and assessment programs for all students in Victoria.
For more information, see: Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority
Victorian Institute of Teaching
The Victorian Institute of Teaching is a statutory authority for the regulation and promotion of the teaching profession in Victoria.
It registers teachers working in Victorian government, Catholic and independent schools.
Like other professions occupying positions of trust and responsibility, teachers are required to be registered by the Institute before they can teach in Victorian schools.
The Institute is governed by a twenty member Council, the majority of whom are practising teachers from government, Catholic and independent schools.
For more information, see: Victorian Institute of Teaching
Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
The Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority (VRQA) is responsible for the regulation of education and training providers and qualifications in Victoria from home schooling to higher education.
The VRQA regulatory practices are based on a style that is proportionate to risk, minimises duplication with other compliance requirements, a ‘one-stop-shop’ for all education sectors, and focuses on quality assurance, not quality control.
The VRQA's 13 Board members are appointed based on their expertise in education and training.
The VRQA is accountable to the Minister for Education in relation to the regulation of schools and to the Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation in relation to the regulation of tertiary providers.
For more information see Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority
Victorian Skills Commission
The Victorian Skills Commission (VSC) is the statutory authority providing for the delivery of vocational education and training in Victoria.
The VSC monitors and provides advice to the Government on the performance of the demand driven Victorian training market, oversights public funding for training and further education, regulates apprenticeships and traineeships and supports industry advisory arrangements.
The VSC was established in July 2007 by the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. The VSC was formerly known as the Victorian Learning and Employment Skills Commission, which operated between 2001 and 2007 under the Vocational Education and Training Act 1990.
For more information, see: Victorian Skills Commission.