AGY-6972 | NSW Education Standards Authority

Full description

The NSW Education Standards Authority (NESA) was established on 1 July 2017 when the Education and Teaching Legislation Amendment Act 2016 (Act No.50, 2016) amended the Board of Studies, Teaching and Educational Standards Act 2013 (Act No.50, 2013) which was renamed the Education Standards Act 2013. (1)

The principal objectives of NESA were:
(a) to provide strategic leadership in improving standards of school education,
(b) to promote an evidence-based approach in improving standards of school education,
(c) to ensure that (i) the school curriculum, (ii) forms of assessment, (iii) regulatory standards for schools, and (iv) teaching quality and professional standards under the education and teaching legislation were developed, applied and monitored in a way that improved student learning while maintaining flexibility across the entire school education and teaching sector. (2)

The functions of NESA included:
(a) the school curriculum for primary and secondary school children,
(b) the approval of initial and continuing teacher education courses and programs that are relevant to the accreditation of persons under the Teacher Accreditation Act 2004 (Act No.65, 2004),
(c) the accreditationof teachers and the monitoring of the accreditation process across all schools and early childhood education centres under that Act,
(d) basic skills testing,
(e) the granting of Records of School Achievement [RoSA] and Higher School Certificates [HSC],
(f) the registration and accreditation of schools,
(g) the approval of providers of courses at schools to overseas students,
(h) the development, content and application of professional teaching standards,
(i) reporting and advising on matters relating to the Authority's functions. (3)

The Board of the NSW Education Standards Authority was to consist of the following members:
(a) an independent person appointed by the Minister as the Chairperson of the Board
(b) 6 persons appointed by the Minister as follows:
(i) 1 from the government school sector, 1 from the Catholic school sector and 1 from the independent school sector
(ii) 2 from teacher unions
(iii) 1 from Aboriginal education, and
(c) no less than 4 (but not more than 6) other persons appointed by the Minister with regard to teachers and school leaders, universities, vocational educationa and trainng, parents of school children, early childhood education, special education, business acumen and strategic advisory skills, and
(d) the Chief Executive Officer. (4)

The Board's functions were: (a) to determine the general policies and strategic direction of the Authority, (b) to oversee the functions of the Authority (including its financial responsibilities), and (c) to give advice to the Minister on matters relating to the functions of the Authority (including advice on school education standards) and (d) such other functions as were conferred or imposed on it by or under the Education Standards Act 2013 or any other Act or law. (5)

NESA's charter stated that its purpose was 'to bring about change to improve student learning and wellbeing through:
- supporting the teaching profession to be the best it can be through the Australian Professional Standards for Teaching and quality assurance of professional learning and development
- developing world class curriculum
- deepening the understanding and practice of assessing student knowledge and capabilities and
- driving improvement in the quality assurance system for schools'. (6)

NESA was not permitted to directly employ staff but could employ persons in the Public Service to enable the Authority to exercise its functions under section 59 of the Government Sector Employment Act 2013 (Act No.40, 2013). (6) At 30 June 2017 NESA was structured in the following divisions: Corporate Governance and School Standards; Learning Standards; Quality Teaching. (7) At 1 October 2017 NESA was structured in the following Divisions: Strategy and Delivery; Corporate Governance and School Registration; Quality Teaching; and, Curriculum Standards and Assessment Standards which also provided support for the Australian Music Examinations Board (AMEB). (8)

At 1 November 2022, NESA was structured in the following Divisions: Strategy and Capability; School and Teaching Standards; Curriculum and Assessment Standards; and Curriculum Reform. (9)

Endnotes
1. Education and Teaching Legislation Amendment Act 2016 (Act No.50, 2016); Commencement Proclamation under the Education and Teaching Legislation Amendment Act 2016 No 50 (2016 No 742); notified on NSW Legislation Website, 9 December 2016.
2. Education Standards Act 2013 (Act No.50, 2013), s.11.
3. Ibid, s.12.
4. Ibid., s.6.
5. Ibid., s.7.
6. NESA, Annual Report, 2016-17, p.9.
7. Education Standards Act 2013, s.9; NESA, Annual Report 2016-17, p.18 Figure 1.2.
8. NSW Education Standards Authority Organisational Chart, 1 October 2017, downloaded from NESA website Our Story http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/about/who-we-are/our-story/ (accessed 21 May 2018).
9. NSW Education Standards Authority Organisational Chart, 1 October 2017, downloaded from NESA website Our Story http://educationstandards.nsw.edu.au/wps/portal/nesa/about/who-we-are/our-story/ (accessed 01 November 2022).