Child Protection
Child protection is paramount.
Volunteering requirements vary with each state and in some
As at August 2017 in Victoria and the NT, a working with children check (WWCC) is essential for all occasional visiting guest speakers in government schools and in other states, it is either not required or dependent on the number of visits per year.
Requirements can also change from time to time, so volunteers should always double check with the teacher before attending.
Regardless of school requirements, ITF requests that all volunteers remain under the supervision of a teacher at all times. That is, volunteers must not be left alone with students.
If you would like to volunteer more often than once a year or broaden the range of activities beyond guest speaking to a class, we strongly suggest volunteers obtain a child protection clearance. Online applications for volunteers are mostly free or require a token fee.
Teachers may be more willing to invite volunteers who have been formally cleared for entering school grounds in their state.
In all cases, visitors and volunteers should allow 15 minutes before the scheduled activity to comply with the school’s visitor requirements.
For more information please see the following links to each state’s child protection authority:
A Volunteer WWCC is free
This document contains the most recent detailed information sourced by the ITF Australia team for all states and territories