In light of its commitment to promoting and supporting choice and diversity in the education sector, ISQ welcomes the opportunity to submit to the Australian Law Reform Commission’s consultation paper on Religious Education Institutions and Anti-Discrimination Laws (2023).

The following submission has been derived from feedback provided by independent schools located
in the far north of Queensland, central Queensland, and the Darling Downs southwest region of
Queensland. Contributions have also been provided by the Independent Schools Queensland (ISQ)
Parents Network and the collective experience and exposure of the ISQ Education Services Advisor
(VET) and the ISQ Manager (School Improvement) to a range of regional, remote, and rural
independent schools.

School refusal is a live issue in the Queensland independent school sector and an area of growing concern for
parents and educators.

The ‘how to’ of engaging parents in their child’s learning and wellbeing – a concept known as parent engagement – is a big step closer thanks to the latest Engaging Parents in Curriculum (EPIC) report.

The EPIC 2022 findings have also been distilled into easy-to-understand resources designed to help ISQ member schools wishing to enhance their parent engagement knowledge and practice.

Independent schools offer a diversity of educational approaches and serve an equally wide range of students and families, from low and high socioeconomic backgrounds.

An Our Schools – Our Future publication.

What Parents Want: An Independent Schools Queensland survey examines the decision-making process parents undertake when choosing an independent school, including cultural influences, sources of information, and the important factors that guide school choice. This report is the fifth in a longitudinal study, commencing in 1996. Previous reports are also available.

An Our Schools – Our Future publication.