AUSTRALIAN CAPITAL TERRITORY

Education Ordinance 1947

EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM

No. 12 of 1947

	The Education Ordinance 1937-1942 enables the parent or guardian to be prosecuted for failure to cause a child between the age of six and fifteen years to attend school regularly.

	No provision exists, however, for the prosecution of a person for employing a child of compulsory school age.

	There are cases where an employer has been under notice more than once for employing children under the age of fifteen years and there is a doubt as to whether reasonable precautions were taken to ensure that such children were of eligible age for employment.

	To meet cases of this type it is proposed to amend the Ordinance to make it an offence to employ children under school leaving age at times when they are required to attend school.