Primary and secondary students

Senior secondary students (Years 10-12) study towards the Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET).

The NTCET is based on and administered by the South Australian Certification of Education.

Obtaining an NTCET

The process is run in two stages:

• stage 1 which most students complete in Year 11
• stage 2 which most students complete in Year 12.

Credits and grades

An NTCET is awarded based on a credit system. 

Your child must gain 200 credits in a mix of compulsory and non-compulsory subjects across the two stages.

Results in stage 1 subjects are graded A to E and A+ to E- at stage 2. 

For the compulsory subjects, a C grade or better is required to complete the NTCET.

Subjects studied

Compulsory subjects include the personal learning plan, English and mathematics.

The other subjects and courses span a wide range of learning areas including: 

• arts
• business, enterprise and technology
• English
• languages
• health and physical education
• humanities and social sciences
• mathematics
• sciences.

Vocational and community learning

Your child can choose to incorporate NTCET studies with:

• vocational education and training (VET) which provides skills for work, particularly in the trades and industry
• community learning.

Community learning

Your child can earn NTCET credits for community learning in two ways:

• community developed program - eg Australian Music Examinations Board, Duke of Edinburgh’s Award and St John Ambulance Australia
• self-directed community learning -  informal community activities such as coaching a sports team, being the primary carer of a family member, or leading an environmental project in the community.

Admission to university

The NTCET is the main qualification for NT students to gain admission into university.

Your child's school can provide more information on the subjects, stages and credit system and vocational and community learning.

In the Northern Territory (NT), you can send your child to a government school or a non-government school.

Government schools are also known as public schools, some are independent public schools.

Non-government schools can be independent or faith schools.

Stages of schooling

You must enrol your child in school from the age of 6.

The stages of schooling are:

• primary - transition to year 6
• middle - year 7 to year 9
• senior - year 10 to year 12.

More than one stage of a child's schooling may take place in one location.

Read more information on stages of schooling.

International students

International students who live in the NT and want to study can attend a public school.

Class times

Schools generally hold classes between 8am and 3pm.

Precise times vary so contact your school for more information.

You can find school contact details in the education directory.

Types of schools

Government schools

Government schools provide schooling across all stages from early years to senior years.

All government schools are co-educational.

Some government schools are independent public schools.

Non-government schools

Non-government schools in the NT provide a range of options across the different stages of schooling.

Read more about non-government schools.

If your child is between the age of 6 and 17 years, they must be enrolled in:

• school, distance education, approved home education or
• approved education, training and/or employment.

Age your child attends school

School is compulsory for all children from the age of 6. Your child must be at school by their sixth birthday.

To prepare your child for the compulsory years of school, you can enrol your child in preschool (or kindergarten) from the age of 4.

Your child can also attend transition class in primary school when they turn 5.

Preschool and transition are recommended but are not compulsory.

Age your child can leave school

Your child must complete year 10 of secondary education.

After year 10, your child must stay at school or continue to participate in approved education, training or employment, or a combination of these, until they are 17 years of age.

Approved education, training or employment

If your child is under 17 and has completed year 10, they may participate in approved education and training, or if your child is 15 years or over, paid employment or a combination of the 2.

Your child must then participate full-time in one of the following:

• approved education and/or training
• if your child is 15 and has completed year 10:
  • full-time paid employment (an average of 25 hours a week)
  • a combination of approved education or training and paid employment.

There are penalties if your child does not participate in education, employment, training or a combination of all 3 until they are 17 years old.

Talk to your child's teacher or careers advisor at school about your child's options.

You can also contact the department by calling 08 8987 0875 or by emailing eligibleoptions.doe@education.nt.gov.au.

Notification of arrangements

If your child has completed year 10 and wants to leave school for other education, training or employment, follow these steps:

Step 1. Fill in the notification of arrangements form on the Department of Education website.

This form must be completed and approved before your child can leave school.

To complete the form, you must:

• fill in your child's details
• ask the employer or trainer to fill in their details and the hours per week your child will be working with them.

Step 2. Submit the form to the school where your child is enrolled or has previously been enrolled.

If your child is not enrolled in a Northern Territory school, submit your form by:

• mail to - Quality Standards and Regulation Division, Department of Education, GPO Box 4821, Darwin NT 0801
• emailing eligibleoptions.doe@education.nt.gov.au.

The arrangements will be confirmed in writing with you, your child and their employer or trainer.

Changing arrangements

If your child leaves their employer or changes their hours of training or employment, you must send in a new notification of arrangements form.

Centres for Excellence cater for high ability government school students in years 10, 11 and 12 who have a passion for learning in a specialist area.

Subjects and locations

There are 5 Centres for Excellence located in senior secondary colleges and high schools across the Territory.

Each centre covers a specialist subject:

• medicine and health sciences - Casuarina Senior College
• sustainable Futures - Centralian Senior College
• science and mathematics - Darwin High School
• visual arts and design - Palmerston College
• academic futures - Taminmin College.

Benefits to students

There are a number of benefits including:

• specialist and challenging learning
• access to industry experience
• pathways to higher education and possible employment opportunities
• extended learning opportunities in association with Charles Darwin University.

How to apply

Entry into the program is by selection as places are limited.

Your child will be required to complete one or more of the following:

• written selection test
• interview
• submit a portfolio of work
• provide copies of past year's school reports
• sit a formal test.

If your child gains a place, they will undertake all of their NTCET studies at the school.

Apply for a place

To find out more or apply for a place, contact the relevant school:

• Casuarina Senior College - medicine and health sciences:
  • call 08 8983 7300
  • email csc.admin@ntschools.net
• Centralian Senior College - sustainable futures:
  • call 08 8958 5000
  • email admin.centraliansc@ntschools.net
• Darwin High School - science and mathematics:
  • call 08 8999 1275
  • email dhs.excellence@ntschools.net
• Palmerston Senior College - visual arts and design
  • call 08 8935 0222
  • email palmerston.senior@ntschools.net
• Taminmin College - academic futures
  • call 08 8983 7000
  • email c4e.taminmin@ntschools.net.

Northern Territory (NT) students have a variety of options they can take to get their desired career or job.

These include:

• work experience
• vocational education and training (VET)
• apprenticeships and traineeships
• university and higher education.

How to get advice

Students can talk to their NT certificate of education and training (NTCET) coordinator or a career advisor about career planning and practical work experience.

Coordinators and advisors can also help with:

• subject selection
• career options
• career pathways.

You can make an appointment with a career advisor at your school.

This page has information about schools in the Northern Territory (NT), choosing a school, priority enrolment and education precincts.

Information on schools

The education directory provides details of government and non-government schools in the NT.

Go to the MySchool website for information on a school's:

• profile
• enrolments
• financial information
• NAPLAN results
• Year 12 results where appropriate.

Priority enrolment

You can apply to enrol your child in a school of your choice, but priority is given to students living in the school's priority enrolment area.

If a school is approaching or has reached capacity, the school will decline applications from students who live outside its priority enrolment area.

Go to the Department of Education website for more information about priority enrolment.

What to consider

When choosing a school for your child, you should consider all of the following:

• if the school caters for your child's needs and interests
• what facilities the school offers
• the school policies on homework, discipline and wellbeing
• what other activities and services are available - eg: after school care
• proximity to home, work and carers
• size of the school
• teaching methods and classroom environment
• assessment and reporting procedures
• extracurricular activities
• communication between home and school
• parental involvement - eg: school council.

It may help to visit the school, and talk to the principal and teachers.

School websites also have useful information on the culture and philosophy of a school and provide information on resources and activities.

Information is also available on the MySchool website.

Education precincts

All government schools in Darwin and Alice Springs are part of local education precincts where preschools, primary, middle and senior-year schools in a geographic area work together to ensure your child has a smooth transition through each stage of schooling.

This page has information on how to make a complaint about your child's school, how the complaint is managed and contact details for government and non-government schools.

For school enquiries

If you have an enquiry, you should contact your school in the first instance.

You can find can find a school's contact details using the education directory.

Give feedback to your school

To give feedback, go to the Department of Education website.

Schools of distance learning offer an alternative for students who can't attend a school in person.

Your child can access distance education if they are travelling overseas or living remotely on:

• cattle stations
• camel farms
• national parks
• mining camps
• road houses
• remote police stations
• tourist ventures
• Indigenous communities.

Your child will receive lessons using satellite, internet and telecommunications technologies.

REACT software is used to provide online lessons. Paper based materials complement your child's interactive learning.

There are 3 schools of distance education in the Northern Territory (NT). The schools cater for different student ages and locations.

International students and other fee paying students are also catered for by all 3 schools.

Read more about enrolment criteria and fees on the schools' websites below.

Alice Springs School of the Air

The Alice Springs School of the Air offers educational services and activities to isolated school children from preschool to year 9.

The school covers the:

• southern half of the NT
• extreme north of South Australia and
• south-east of Western Australia.

The school operates for 40 weeks of the year and follows the same school calendar as other government schools in the NT, sharing the same term and holiday schedule.

For more information, go to the Alice Springs School of the Air website.

Katherine School of the Air

Katherine School of the Air caters for:

• isolated primary and middle school students in the top half of the NT and
• residents temporarily travelling or based elsewhere.

Middle years students including urban students that require alternative pathways are also catered for.

For more information, go to the Katherine School of the Air website.

NT School of Distance Education

The NT School of Distance Education provides flexible distance study options for senior secondary students from years 10 to 12 across the Territory and overseas.

Students from urban, regional and remote schools, including community education centres, can access the school either full time or for subject areas their current school cannot meet.

Students may be school age or beyond compulsory school age.

For more information, go to the NT School of Distance Education website.

Aboriginal students can join programs at school that encourage them to attend regularly and complete year 12.

The programs do the following:

• support student engagement and achievement at school
• promote healthy lifestyles
• support student wellbeing and
• help students explore options for training and employment beyond school.

If your child is an Aboriginal student enrolled at a school where a program is run, they can participate. There are programs for boys and girls.

How to join

Talk to your child's teacher or school principal for more information.

Contact

To find out more, contact the Engagement and Partnerships division by calling 08 8944 9355 or emailing ogmep.doe@education.nt.gov.au

The overseas student exchange program provides your child with the opportunity to attend high school in another country and a student from another country to study in the Northern Territory under similar conditions.

How the program works

Your child will be placed with a host family and attend a local school in the country of their choice.

You can choose how long your child participates, but it must be for a minimum of 3 months.

Cost of the program

You will not have to pay tuition fees or accommodation costs for your child.

You will have to cover your child's personal expenses, flights and other travel expenses.

How to participate

You can organise a student exchange program either through:

Registered secondary student exchange organisations

Contact one of these organisations if you're interested in an exchange program for your child:

• AIIU Discover New Worlds
• AFS Intercultural Programs Australia
• Rotary Youth Exchange Australia
• Southern Cross Cultural Exchange
• Student Exchange Australia and New Zealand
• Youth for Understanding Australia.

Contact

If you need more information, talk to your child's school or contact the Education Services team call 08 8901 1336 or email internationalservice@education.nt.gov.au.

This page has information about school bus services for students, including those with special needs and financial assistance with getting to and from school.

School bus services by region

• Alice Springs timetables and maps
• Darwin timetables and maps
• Katherine timetables and maps

To find out more about what school bus services are available within your region, contact a school bus service provider in your region.

Parents and carers should also read road safety and buses and rules for catching a school bus.

Ferry services

Read about the passenger ferry services operating from Darwin.

Students with special needs

Parents and carers can apply for special needs transport.

Special needs transport is for students who have:

• a disability or medical condition that prevents independent travel
• parents or carers who are unable to arrange or provide transport to and from school.

Read more about transport for students with special needs.

Financial help getting to and from school

Students in remote areas may be eligible for assistance with the costs of getting to and from school.

Read about financial help for isolated students.

Home education is where you take responsibility for teaching your child. It's an alternative to your child going to a school.

If you choose to home educate, you must apply for approval from the Northern Territory (NT) Department of Education.

The department has a legal responsibility to make sure all students receive a quality education.

You must keep your child enrolled and attending a school until you receive approval to home educate.

Home education approval is valid for one school year. You must reapply each year.

Home educators

Home education applications must show you can plan and provide for the educational needs of your child.

Parents can plan and deliver home education programs without the need for formal teacher training or teaching experience.

You can also employ a teacher to primarily develop and deliver the home education program. The teacher must:

• be registered with the Teacher Registration Board of the NT
• have a working with children clearance (ochre card).

Accreditation

Home education students do not receive accreditation, including the NT Certificate of Education and Training.

Registered training organisation certification applies for any successfully completed vocational education and training (VET) courses.

When to apply

New families can apply to home educate at any time during the year.

Continuing families wanting to home educate in 2024 must reapply by the following dates:

• Monday 20 November 2023 for transition to year 10 students
• Monday 18 December 2023 for senior secondary (year 11 and 12) students.

How to apply

To apply for home education, follow these steps:

Step 1. Fill in the relevant teaching, learning and assessment plan for your child's year level

• transition to year 10 - teaching, learning and assessment plan DOCX (78.9 KB)
• senior secondary - teaching, learning and assessment plan DOCX (77.8 KB).

Step 2. Attach self-developed or commercially purchased curriculum.

If you purchase your entire home education curriculum from a commercial provider, you must consolidate all the curriculum information into a single PDF document.

If you're using self-developed home education curriculum or a combination of your own and external curriculum, you must fill in the following plan for your child's year level:

• transition to year 10 - self-developed curriculum plan DOCX (49.3 KB)
• senior secondary - self-developed curriculum plan DOCX (50.4 KB).

Step 3. Fill in and submit your application online with supporting documents.

Go to Territory Services

Contact

Contact home education by calling 08 8944 9214 or emailing homeeducation.doe@education.nt.gov.au.

Independent public schools are part of the public education system and follow the Australian curriculum.

But the principal, teachers and the school community have a greater say in the way the school is run.

The school community also has greater flexibility to introduce additional educational programs and activities to improve student outcomes.

Current independent public schools

Below are the 13 independent public schools in the Northern Territory (NT) and their websites:

• Bakewell Primary School
• Braitling Primary School
• Casuarina Street Primary School
• Casuarina Senior College
• Darwin High School
• Darwin Middle School
• Driver Primary School
• Durack Primary School
• Gunbalanya School
• Larrakeyah Primary School
• Leanyer Primary School
• Taminmin College
• Wulagi Primary School.

Becoming an independent public school

Schools apply and are selected to become independent public schools.

The selection is based on the school's vision and innovation, community support, and capacity of school staff and the school council to have more autonomy in the running of the school.

For more information about independent public schools in the NT, go to the Department of Education (DOE) website.

School boards

Independent public schools operate with a board.

The board has the same legal powers and functions as a school council, but with greater autonomy to carry out those functions.

Read about their policy and procedures on the DOE website.

In the Northern Territory (NT), you can apply to enrol your child in a school of your choice, but priority is given to students living in the school's priority enrolment area.

Read more about choosing a school.

For more information and a list of government and non-government schools in the NT, go to the education directory.

The National Assessment Program Literacy and Numeracy (NAPLAN) tests the essential skills your child needs to progress through school and life.

It provides information about their literacy and numeracy achievements.

Teachers also use the test to support and inform their judgment about how to help students with their learning.

What is tested

The test includes:

• writing
• reading
• conventions of language - spelling, grammar and punctuation
• numeracy.

Your child will take the test in years 3, 5, 7 and 9.

When the test will be held

From 2023, NAPLAN’s Australia-wide assessments will be held in term 1.

The test window will be from Wednesday 13 to Monday 25 March 2024.

Contact your child's school for more information about the tests.

For more information on NAPLAN, go to the National Assessment Program website.

Benefits of NAPLAN

The benefits of NAPLAN include the following:

• helps you track your child's progress
• compares their performance against national peers
• helps teachers identify students needing support
• enables schools to:
  • map student progress
  • identify strengths and weaknesses in teaching programs and goals
• provides valuable data to school systems and governments
• drives school improvement.

Results and reports

If your child participates in the NAPLAN test, you will get an individual report with their results.

For information on results and reports, go to the Department of Education website.

Information for teachers

For NAPLAN information and resources for teachers, go to eLearn.

Contact

Talk to your child's teacher for more information on NAPLAN tests.

Non-government schools in the Northern Territory (NT) provide a range of options across the different stages of school.

They can be independent or may be faith-based.

For information about:

• independent non-government schools, go to the Association of Independent Schools NT website
• Catholic schools, go to the Catholic Education NT website
• Christian schools, go to the NT Christian Schools website
• Lutheran schools, go to the Lutheran Education SA, NT and WA website.

Register of non-government schools

The registrar of non-government schools is required to maintain a register of non-government schools.

Get a copy of the register.

Register of non-government schools PDF (136.0 KB)
Register of non-government schools XLSX (35.2 KB)

For contact details for government and non-government schools in the NT, go to the Education Directory.

Information on all schools is also available on the MySchool website including:

• school profile
• enrolment information
• school financial information
• NAPLAN results
• Year 12 results.

The Northern Territory Board of Studies (NTBOS) provides advice on curriculum, assessment, reporting and certification to all schools in the Northern Territory (NT).

They also issue certificates of educational attainment and manage student awards including the NT Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET).

The NTBOS's functions are to:

• provide advice to the Minister for Education and the chief executive of the Department of Education on curriculum, assessment and reporting policy for all NT schools
• cooperate and consult with other educational bodies and authorities - eg. the South Australian Certificate of Education Board.

For more information about the NTBOS, go to the Department of Education website.

NTBOS awards

The NTBOS holds award ceremonies in the first two weeks of February each year in Alice Springs and Darwin.

They recognise the achievements of students in government and non-government schools across the NT.

For more information, go to the Department of Education website.

You can also go to their website to find out about other education events and awards.

Contact

NT Board of Studies
Department of Education
ntbos@nt.gov.au

GPO Box 4821
Darwin NT 0801

Phone: 08 8944 9204
Fax: 08 8999 4363

This page has information for parents of pregnant or parenting students and the support they will receive to continue their education.

If your child is pregnant or parenting and is of compulsory school age they must remain in school.

School support

If your child is pregnant or a parent talk to your child's teacher or a staff member at your child's school.

Your child's school will:

• arrange a meeting to discuss your child's options to continue their education
• discuss what your child wants to achieve and their career goals
• discuss and develop a flexible learning plan for your child
• give you a copy of the flexible learning plan for you and your child to sign
• regularly review the plan with you to ensure it is meeting your child's goals.

if your child is currently not enrolled at a school, contact the school you would like your child to attend and arrange a meeting.

Flexible learning plan

A flexible learning plan is a signed agreement between you, your child, and your child's school.

Flexible learning may include any of the following:

• flexible attendance, curriculum and participation at your child's school
• a temporary exemption for your child from school
• a graduated return to school for your child from maternity leave
• adjusted school workload for your child
• enrolment in the Northern Territory School of Distance Education to enable your child to work from home with your support
• alternative education provision for your child.

Benefits of staying at school

If your child remains at school they can access to a range of health and wellbeing services.

The services may include any of the following:

• school counsellors
• school-based nurses
• school chaplains
• access to other government and external agencies providing services for pregnant and parenting students.

Contacts

If you need further information talk to your child's teacher or principal.

If you feel your child could benefit from additional help with their school work you should talk to you child's school about additional support services you may be eligible to access.

If you want to make private arrangements for your child to receive private tuition, this is done at your own expense.

Finding a private tutor

The Department of Education does not maintain a list or make recommendations about private tuition providers.

Working with children clearance

Before appointing a tutor make sure they have the current working with children clearance notice and (where applicable) a criminal history check.

Go to the working with children clearance page to find out more.

Tuition for the standard curriculum program is provided free to all students in government schools.

There are three areas where you may be requested to make a contribution:

• educational items
• optional extras
• voluntary contributions.

Educational items

You are expected to provide, or reimburse the school to provide, educational items for your child eg stationery, text books and school uniforms.

These items are generally available to purchase from the school.

The Back to School Payment Scheme may be used for some of these purchases.

Optional extra items

These are materials, services or facilities for your child which you may be charged a fee by the school.

The items may include:

• instructional support or resources eg printing for personal use.
• extra-curricular programs or activities eg instrumental music tuition, swimming lessons or school camps
• entry costs for performances, productions or events
• materials or services that are a higher cost than required by the standard curriculum eg use of mahogany in woodwork instead of standard pine
• hire of equipment or other materials, services or facilities eg hire of a musical instrument or notebook computer.

The Back to School Payment Scheme may be used for some optional extra items.

Voluntary financial contributions and donations

You may be asked to make a financial contribution or donation to your child's school for a specific purpose.

You are not obliged to contribute.

These contributions are used to improve resources for student learning, recreation and comfort eg a building or library trust fund.

If your child's school has gift recipient status your contribution or donation may be tax deductible.

If you are unable to pay

If you are unable to contribute to optional extra items because of financial hardship you should arrange a confidential talk with the school principal.

Confidentiality, privacy and dignity will always be maintained.

In the Northern Territory (NT), most government schools follow the same term dates.

If your child attends a non-government school, check the term dates with the school.

2024 term dates

Below are the school term dates for 2024.

Gunbalanya School operate on a flexible school year and separate consultation occurs to determine school term dates:

• 2024 calendar for Gunbalanya school PDF (183.7 KB)
  2024 calendar for Gunbalanya school DOCX (84.3 KB).

Below are the printable school calendars for 2024:

• 2024 calendar for NT schools PDF (178.1 KB)
  2024 calendar for NT schools DOCX (79.5 KB)
• 2024 school term wall calendar - horizontal PDF (113.8 KB)
• 2024 school term wall calendar - vertical PDF (113.9 KB).

Public holidays

Get a list of NT public holidays.

Other states and territories

For school term dates in other states and territories, go to the Australian Government website.

This page has information on the senior secondary students art exhibition, Exit Art.

What is Exit Art

Exit Art is held in partnership with the Department of Education and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Each year, a range of artworks produced by Northern Territory senior secondary students are selected for the exhibition.

Up to 35 works are displayed representing a wide range of visual arts and design.

Exhibition details

The exhibition is held at the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory during Semester 1 of the school year.

How are works selected

Teachers nominate work from students studying visual arts.

Final selection is by a panel of experts from the Department of Education and the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory.

Go to the Museum and Art Gallery of the Northern Territory website for information on the Exit Art exhibition.

Contact

For more information contact the NTCET arts consultant by phoning (08) 8944 9256.

There are primary schools, middle schools, senior secondary and comprehensive schools in the Northern Territory (NT).

More than one stage of school may take place at one location.

The stages of schooling are:

• primary years - transition to year 6
• middle years - year 7 to 9
• senior years - year 10 to 12.

School is compulsory for all children from the age of 6.

Your child must be at school by their sixth birthday.

If your child turns 6:

• on or before the 30 June, they must be enrolled at the start of the school year
• after the 30 June, they must be enrolled at the start of the following school year.

Your child can go to preschool (or kindergarten) and transition before turning 6. This is optional.

Primary years - transition to year 6

Transition from preschool to primary school and from primary to middle school are a formal part of this stage of schooling.

Literacy and numeracy skills are assessed through the National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) in year 3 and year 5.

Middle years - year 7 to 9

Transitions into and out of the middle years are a formal part of this stage of schooling.

Literacy and numeracy skills are assessed through the National Assessment Program (NAPLAN) in year 7 and year 9.

Senior years - year 10 to 12

The senior years build on the earlier stages of schooling to develop employment-ready Territorians who are able to take advantage of many pathways open to them, including further education.

The Northern Territory Certificate of Education and Training (NTCET) is awarded on successful completion of senior years schooling.

Your child must complete year 10 of secondary education and participate in approved education, training or work until they turn 17.

This page has information about technology in schools including email, internet, Microsoft Office software, student's computers and mobile devices and the appropriate use of technology.

Email in schools

When your child goes to Middle and Senior Secondary school they are provided with an NT Schools email address.

Emails can be accessed with Webmail from any computing device with an internet connection.

Internet in schools

Your child has access to the internet at school. 

Your child's internet access is monitored and all access is filtered. The website filtering system blocks access to inappropriate material.

Wireless access in schools

Laptops linked to the NTSchools domain automatically connect to the NTSchools wireless network when students are in range. 

Your child can connect their personal mobile devices such as iPads and smartphones to the NTSchools network as a guest using their personally owned internet user id and password.

Using personal devices in schools

Many schools provide students with access to laptops, tablets and computers. Your child can use their own device in schools to increase access to technology. 

Microsoft Office 365

Your child has access to downloads of Microsoft Office software for personal computers including Macs, as well as free Office mobile apps for iPads, Androids and other mobile devices.

Your child has access to free cloud storage through MS O365 hosting services. This allows your child to continue to work on their office documents when offline.

If your child brings their own device to school they will not need to purchase Office software and will be able to access their cloud files from any device and any network.

Appropriate use of technology

Your child must access and use internet appropriately.

Inappropriate use of technology includes all of the following:

If you’re a parent or guardian of a child, it is compulsory to send them to school.

Your child must attend school from the age of 6 until they complete Year 10 and turn 17. Read more about the age your child attends school.

If your child is sick or unable to attend for other reasons, you must contact your school and let them know why your child is absent.

For information on the Northern Territory's education engagement strategy, go to the Department of Education website.

Helping your child attend school

If you need help in getting your child to school, talk to your child's teacher or principal.

There may be the following who can help:

• school based engagement officers
• student engagement officers.

If you or your child are of Aboriginal descent, you can also go to the National Indigenous Australians Agency website for more information on getting your child to school.

School based engagement officers

School based engagement officers visit key locations during school hours to engage students and their families on their return to school or community.

If the student is not in school or an education setting, the officers may ask to see a leave pass and student identification.

If they don't have a clear reason why they're absent, there may be further action.

Student engagement officers

Contact

For more information on enrolment and attendance, contact the student engagement team in your local area.

Darwin

Phone: 0428 294 051
sedarwin.doe@education.nt.gov.au

Top End

Phone: 0429 123 860
setopend.doe@education.nt.gov.au

Big Rivers

Phone: 0499 785 496
sebigrivers.doe@education.nt.gov.au

Central

Phone: 0439 164 942
secentral.doe@education.nt.gov.au

Barkly

Phone: 0408 707 469
sebarkly.doe@education.nt.gov.au

East Arnhem

Phone: 0455 658 512
seeastarnhem.doe@education.nt.gov.au

If your child attends a government school from Transition to Year 9 they must wear a school uniform whilst at school or attending official school activities during or after school hours.  

When your child transitions to a government senior secondary school they must follow the school's dress code.

Every school has a uniform or dress code designed to meet health and safety requirements including sun protection and suitable enclosed shoes for sport and other activities.

Talk to your child's school about their dress code and where to purchase uniform items.

The back to school payment scheme can be used to purchase school uniforms.

Your child may participate in school excursions as part of their school curriculum and learning activities.

Excursions can range from a short visit to a number of days or weeks and may be to locations close to the school, within the Northern Territory, interstate or overseas.

Consent form

For your child to take part in an excursion, you must complete a parental consent form which will be provided by your child's school.

You can also use the form to give relevant information about your child's care needs.

Your consent for your child to attend excursions does not relieve the school or supervisors of their duty of care.

Excursion information

The school will provide information about the activities planned for the excursion to enable you to make an informed decision about your child's participation.

This may include all of the following:

• times and dates of departure and return
• destination
• mode of travel and route
• supervision including names of teachers and accompanying adults
• purpose of the excursion
• details of activities
• accommodation arrangements
• equipment and clothing needed
• details of cost
• special rules for the excursion
• details of activities which may provide a greater risk of injury - eg abseiling, rock climbing
• contact details for the excursion group.

Contact

For more information on excursions, talk to your child's teacher.

Go to policies on the Department of Education website for more information about school excursions.

The Leaders of Tomorrow program supports high-achieving Aboriginal secondary students in the Northern Territory.

It provides engagement opportunities including:

• links to universities
• emphasis on student voice
• connection to businesses and industry
• personal development skills.

Students can access workshops, work placements, interstate trips, forums and collaborations.

Who can apply

To apply, you must:

• be a middle or senior school-aged Aboriginal student in a participating government school*
• have a high attendance rate
• excel in one or more subjects either in an academic or vocational pathway.

Participating schools

The following are participating government schools:

• Casuarina Senior College
• Centralian Middle School
• Centralian Senior College
• Darwin Middle School
• Darwin High School
• Dripstone Middle School
• Jabiru Area School
• Katherine High School
• Nhulunbuy High School
• Nightcliff Middle School
• Palmerston College
• Sanderson Middle School
• Taminmin College
• Tennant Creek High School.

When to apply

Applications are open all year.

Contact

To apply or for more information, email leadersot.doe@education.nt.gov.au.

Northern Territory student records are available to access by request.

If you're a current student, contact your school.

If you’re a former student, you can request:

• a copy of your student record file
• a report of your enrolment and attendance
• incident reports about you
• counselling and behavioural reports, including educational adjustment plans
• academic and NAPLAN reports.

Before you apply

To make a request, you must:

• provide a copy of your photo ID with your date of birth and include any change of name documentation
• state what information you require - for example, your student record file or enrolment information
• include the school you attended and the year you completed.

How to apply

Email your request to rfi.doe@education.nt.gov.au.

After your request has been received:

• you will get a reply email as an acknowledgement of receipt
• it will be processed, and copies of documents will be provided when located.

Contact

Call 08 8999 5967 or email  rfi.doe@euducation.nt.gov.au.