Latest updates on school policies and advice

Find information about any new, updated and revoked policies for Northern Territory (NT) Government schools.

Activity	Title	Effective from	Notes
New	Respect and responsibility in schools	5 May 2026	This is published in response to the Respect and responsibility in schools campaign launch. Respect and responsibility in schools policy and guidelines take the place of the Code of conduct in schools policy.
Revoked	Code of conduct in schools	5 May 2026	This has been replaced by the Respect and responsibility in schools policy page.
New	Smoke free schools	26 January 2026	The Smoke-free schools policy has been amended. All NT Government schools are now required to be completely smoke and vape free.
New	Assemblies, special events and the Australian National Anthem	27 January 2026	Explains the protocols to be implemented for the singing or performing of the Australian National Anthem in NT Government schools.
New	Mobile phone and personal digital device - student use in NT Government schools	22 January 2026	This policy combines elements of Student mobile phones in government schools and Personal digital devices in educational environments and contemporises practices with clear instruction.
New	Curriculum, teaching and learning	13 January 2026	The following Curriculum, assessment, reporting and certification: early childhood to Year 12 (CARC) supporting documents have been updated to better align to topic specific legislation and requirements, the CARC policy, the Department of Education and Training and Northern Territory (NT) Government organisational structures, and NT Government template requirements: Aboriginal languages in schools – guidelines Note: title change - was Indigenous languages and culture guidelines Bilingual education – guidelines Intensive English unit - guidelines The Bilingual education and Cultural responsiveness framework - expectations of school leaders - placemat has also been developed to support the CARC policy. Educators can access additional CARC supporting documents on the Policy and advisory library (staff access only).
New	Enhanced income management referrals PDF (332.0 KB)	30 October 2025	Policy and procedure document for Student Engagement Advisors to assess when it is appropriate to refer parents and independent students for compulsory income management, and the processes to which they must adhere.
New	School fees and voluntary contributions	27 October 2025	The new School fees and voluntary contributions policy and guideline supports schools, school bodies and parents in understanding the requirements under the Education Act 2015 and the Education Regulations 2015 and provides clarity on which materials and services must be provided free of charge, and where a fee may be applied. Other department policies that have been amended to align with the School fees policy and guideline include the Distance education enrolment guidelines and procedures; Personal digital devices in educational environments policy and Student mobile phones in government schools policy; the Curriculum, Assessment, Reporting and Certification (CARC) for early childhood to Year 12 policy; and the Financial and resource management for schools (FARMS) manual.
New	Generative artificial intelligence	27 October 2025	The newly released generative artificial intelligence (AI) policy and guidelines guide the department in the responsible and ethical use of generative AI tools. An implementation toolkit is also available to assist school and system leaders to plan and evaluate the use of generative AI in their context.
New	Financial and resource management for schools (FARMS)	10 October 2025	The 2026 FARMS manual has a new improved look and feel and includes a full resource, plus individual chapters to simplify access to information for schools. New chapters include Assets and inventory, Human resources, Chart of accounts and 3 new funding chapters.
New	Intensive support roll	24 September 2025	New guidelines for schools in appropriate and timely use of the Intensive support roll (ISR) for school non-attendance. These guidelines articulate the processes for: identifying chronically disengaged students placing students on the ISR supporting students on the ISR considering enforcement action removing a child from the ISR.
Updated	Code of conduct in schools	Term 1 2026	Updates to the Code of conduct in schools that establish clear standards of conduct in schools, ensuring that interactions are professional, respectful, and do not adversely impact staff wellbeing or damage the reputation of a school or its staff.
Updated	Student assistance schemes - policy, application and claim procedures	Term 1 2026	Update of the policies related to student assistance schemes, combining several documents into a single reference point.
Updated	Back-to-School payment scheme	27 October 2025	The revised policy suite provides detailed information for schools and families on the Back-to-School payment scheme. The suite includes information sheets for parents and guides what educational goods and services can be offered by schools.
Updated	School cash policy and guidelines	10 October 2025	This document has been reviewed and updated as part of an annual review. Updates include approval requirements for cash allocation and optional projection scenario cash grants.
Revoked	Personal digital devices in educational environments policy	22 January 2026	Replaced by Mobile phone and personal digital device - student use in NT Government schools.
Revoked	Student mobile phones in government schools policy	22 January 2026	Replaced by Mobile phone and personal digital device - student use in NT Government schools.

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