Each state and territory in Australia has legislation pertaining to the protection of children within educational institutions. For QLD, NSW, ACT, VIC, TAS, SA and WA, there are exemption clauses that allow out-of-state visitors to work within school once for a 7 day period (some states up to 30 days) over a 12-month period without applying for a Working With Children Check (known differently in each state). For the NT, schools are required to complete an exemption form on behalf of the visitor to be submitted to the government for approval ahead of time.

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South Australia

Requirements:

Working With Children Check (WWCC): In South Australia, public schools require a WWCC. This process includes the school submitting a WWCC application form with the support of the team, followed by the Indonesian teachers completing the offline form and having their passports verified by the Consulate in Jakarta. This information is then provided to the Department of Human Services for processing, which takes approximately 4 weeks (however can be shorted due to the teachers having no working history in Australia).

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Process:

1. Indonesian teachers apply for and receive passport and visa.

2. Asia Education Foundation provide schools with Indonesian educator details (full name, date of birth, address) Please note that if the educator has one name it must be added as a Last Name, which triggers the option of selecting 'Single name'.

3. School to apply for Working With Children Check through their system and allow Print and Seek application form.

4.  Indonesian educators to create an account and complete Working With Children application form with support from BRIDGE staff.

5. Verifying Officer (a relevant Australian person) to witness the passports and sign the Working With Children form application. 

6. BRIDGE team to submit documents (completed application form, approved visa and flight information) to the Departmetn of Human Services via email.

7. Verifying Officer at the school to call the DHS if necessary to request ap

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Please note: The Asia Education Foundation also complete a Police Check before educators leave Indonesia as an additional safety measure.

 

RRHAN-EC Certificate: Educators travelling to South Australia will complete the fundamentals course to get their RRHAN-EC Certificate before arriving in Australia.

 

Victoria

Requirements:

No action is required.

The Department of Human Services in Victoria has advised the Asia Education Foundation that Working With Children Checks are not required for the visiting Indonesian educators as they as classified as international teachers volunteering for less than a week with no intention of remaining in Australia.

 

Please note: The Asia Education Foundation also complete a Police Check before educators leave Indonesia as an additional safety measure.

 

New South Wales Memorandum of Understanding (MoU): The NSW Department of Educations Sister schools MoU template can be found here: https://education.nsw.gov.au/content/dam/main-education/policy-library/public/related-documents/sample_mou_sister_school-finalLdocx.docx

A copy of the finalised agreement to NSWDoE.ForeignRelations@det.nsw.edu.au within 7 days of signing the agreement.

Working With Children Check: While technically individuals do not require a Working With Children Check in NSW if they are in the school for under 5 days, in practice evidence of a WWCC application is prefered.

 

At the Asia Education Foundation, the Indonesian educators complete the online form and then will need to show their documentation in person at Service Now (which is open half days over the weekend). From here, they will receive an application number which is legally acceptable to volunteer within a school while the WWCC is being processed.

 

Please note: The Asia Education Foundation also complete a Police Check before educators leave Indonesia as an additional safety measure.

 

Western Australia

Requirements:

Requirements of the WWCC in WA are being confirmed.

 

Please note: The Asia Education Foundation also complete a Police Check before educators leave Indonesia as an additional safety measure.

 

Tasmania

Requirements: No action is required.

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Queensland

You don’t need a blue card if you are a paid employee, volunteer or student and you work for no more than 7 days in a calendar year. A calendar year starts from 1 January and ends on 31 December. A ‘day’ is for any period of time on 1 day, irrespective of whether it is a full day or part day. You cannot rely on the frequency test if you are a restricted person or a running a business. See the full document here.

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New South Wales

You are visiting from interstate and working with children for fewer than 30 days. See the full document here.

 

Australian Capital Territory

Engaging in the activity for not more than 3 days in any 4-week period or 7 days in any 12- month period (the ‘frequency test’ or frequency exemption). See the full document here.

 

Victoria

Visiting workers who do not usually live in Victoria and do child-related work in Victoria for a period of up to 30 days and do not do any other child-related work in Victoria in the same calendar year. See the full document here.

 

Tasmania

The person is working or volunteering with children for 7 days or less per calendar year. See the full document here.

 

South Australia​

Don’t reasonably believe they will work with children for more than seven days (consecutive or not) in a calendar year. The seven-day exclusion does not apply if the person is involved with an overnight activity (e.g. school camp), or has close contact with children with disability. See the full document here.

 

Western Australia

Short-term visitors to Western Australia exemption. There is an exemption which applies to work carried out by visitors to Western Australia, where the person is not ordinarily a resident in Western Australia. This exemption only applies during the two-week period after the person arrives in Western Australia and cannot exceed a total of two weeks in any period of 12 months. It also cannot be used in conjunction with the one-off national events and national tours exemption.  A person cannot use both exemptions in the same 12-month period.

 

Northern Territory

Schools will be required to complete a Working with Children with Children Exemption form. The form can be accessed here.