Legal framework

What you need to know

Our role as Victoria’s education and training regulator is defined by:​

  • legislation​
  • direction issued by our Ministers
  • powers delegated on behalf of our Ministers to our Chief Executive Officer (Director).

We regulate to a number of standards, codes and guidelines. We have also entered into a number of memoranda of understanding with other agencies.

For more information, see:

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Legislat​ion

Name ​What it does ​

​Education and Training Reform
Act 2006

Establishes the VRQA and outlines our responsibilities under Chapter 4 and Part 5.5.

​Education and Training Reform
Regulations 2017

​Outlines our responsibilities.

​Education Services for Overseas Students (ESOS) Act 2000

​We are an approving authority for certain types of providers intending to deliver courses to overseas students in Victoria.

​Child Wellbeing And Safety
Act 2005

​Outlines our role as the relevant authority to assess our regulated entities' compliance against the child safe standards.

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Ministerial Orders, directions and delegations​

​​Name Download 
​Implementing the child safe standards – managing the risk of child abuse in schools and school boarding premises​Ministerial Order 1359 — Minister for Education and Minister for Training and Skills, 31 January 2022 (pdf - 367.02kb)
Amending Ministerial Order No. 615 in relation to fees fixing​Ministerial Order 1337 — Minister for Education and Minister for Training and Skills, 14 September 2021 (pdf - 215.53kb)
Child Safe Standards – Managing the risk of child abuse in schools and school boarding premises ​Ministerial Order 870 — Minister for Education, incorporating MO 1324 amendments, 29 April 2021 (pdf - 286.37kb)
​Anaphylaxis Management in schools and school boarding premises ​Ministerial Order 706 — Minister for Education, incorporating MO 1325 amendments, 29 April 2021 (pdf - 149.1kb)
​Overseas students Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency (No. 3)​Direction — Minister for Education, 7 May 2021 (pdf - 540.16kb)
Auditing of RTOs' compliance against Condition 9 of the Australian Quality Training Framework​Direction — Minister for Training and Skills and Minister for Higher Education, 21 December 2020 (pdf - 669.37kb)
​Trade Papers (No. 3) ​Direction — Minister for Training and Skills and Minister for Higher Education, 18 December 2020 (pdf - 201.04kb)
Overseas students – Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency (No. 2)​Direction — Minister for Education, 11 November 2020 (pdf - 804.19kb)
Amending Ministerial Order 615 in relation to fees fixing

​Ministerial Order 1291 — Minister for Education, Minister for Training and Skills and Minister for Higher Education, 17 August 2020 (pdf - 209.11kb)
​Overseas students – Coronavirus (COVID-19) emergency  (No. 1) ​Direction — Minister for Education and Minister for the Coordination of Education and Training: COVID-19 , 24 June 2020 (pdf - 757.62kb)
​Compliance with prescribed minimum standards – COVID-19 emergency Direction — Minister for Education, 14 April 2020 (pdf - 183.56kb)
Trade Papers (No. 2) Direction — Minister for Training and Skills, 30 October 2018 (pdf - 59.5kb)
Trade Papers  (No. 1) Direction — Minister for Training and Skills, 18 August 2018 (pdf - 57.54kb)
​Insight Education Centre ​Direction — Minister for Education, 22 April 2018 (pdf - 56.67kb)
​Amending Ministerial Order 615 related to fees fixing ​Ministerial Order 957 — Minister for Education and Minister for Higher Education and Skills, 21 December 2016  (pdf - 802.88kb)
​Amending Ministerial Order 615 related to fees fixing ​Ministerial Order 867 — Minister for Higher Education and Skills, 18 December 2015 (pdf - 141.45kb)
Standards for Registered Training Organisations Direction — Minister for Training and Skills, 19 November 2015 (pdf - 2.13mb)
​Amending Ministerial Order 615 related to fees fixing ​Ministerial Order 790 — Minister for Higher Education and Skills, 02 October 2014 (pdf - 227.24kb)
Standing applications to amend an RTO's scope of registration Direction — Minister for Higher Education and Skills, 18 August 2014 (pdf - 484.49kb)
​Amending Ministerial Order 615 related to fees fixing

​Ministerial Order 769 — Minister for Higher Education and Skills, 18 August 2014 (pdf - 215.76kb)
Complaint handling and dispute resolution Delegation — Minister for Education, 7 January 2014 (pdf - 133.07kb)
​This Order fixes fees administered by the VRQA ​Ministerial Order 615 — Minister for Higher Education and Skills, 21 December 2012 (pdf - 812.79kb)
Sharing of information and documents Direction — Minister for Higher Education and Skills and Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession, 3 September 2012​ (pdf - 1.02mb)
Granting exemptions to the principal purpose requirement for RTOs Delegation — Minister for Higher Education and Skills and Minister responsible for the Teaching Profession, 13 January 2012 (pdf - 1.41mb)
Collection of Annual Reports to the school community Delegation — Minister for Education, 1 June 2011 (pdf - 66.27kb)
Government response to child protection report Letter of Instruction — Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, 13 January 2010 (pdf - 90.66kb)
RTO financial health Direction — Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, 5 December 2009 (pdf - 133.98kb)
Publication of government school performance summaries Direction — Minister for Education, 10 November 2009 (pdf - 83.84kb)
Standards for Registered Training organisations (replaced by 2015 Standards
for Registered Training organisations)		 Direction —​ Minister for Skills and Workforce Participation, 12 September 2009​ (pdf - 170.56kb)
​​ Government school closure Direction — Minister for Education, 31 July 2007 (pdf - 85.23kb)

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​Memoranda of understanding

Agency Details of memorandum Date Download
​Department of Education and Training (DET)
 Sets out the shared and separate responsibilities of DET and the VRQA to ensure Government Schools and School Boarding Premises comply with the minimum standards. ​20 August 2021​Memorandum of understanding with the Department of Education and Training relating to minimum standards responsibilities (pdf - 394.38kb)
​Australian Skills Quality Authority and the Training Accreditation Council​An agreement between the regulators of vocational education and training.​22 June 2021​Memorandum of understanding with Australian Skills Quality Authority and the Training Accreditation Council (pdf - 1.31mb)
​Local Jobs First Commissioner​Information sharing to facilitate the effective regulation of apprenticeships and traineeships in Victorian public sector construction projects.
​4 May 2021 ​Memorandum of understanding with Local Jobs First Commissioner (pdf - 4.18mb)
Fair Work Ombudsman​Information sharing to facilitate the effective regulation of apprenticeships and traineeships in Victoria, and to protect and enforce the rights of workers and employers under Commonwealth workplace relations law. 18 June 2020 Memorandum of understanding with Fair Work Ombudsman​ relating to apprenticeships and traineeships (pdf - 629.32kb)
​Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority (VCAA) A framework for complementary responsibilities in respect of Victorian accredited senior secondary courses and registered senior secondary qualifications. 24 December 2019​ Memorandum of understanding with the VCAA relating to accredited senior secondary courses and registered senior secondary qualifications (pdf - 421.3kb)
Victorian WorkCover Authority Details agreed arrangements and procedures between the Victorian Workcover Authority and the VRQA. 28 October 2019 Memorandum of understanding with the Victorian WorkCover Authority relating to information sharing protocols and cooperation (pdf - 769.65kb)
​Victorian Institute of Teaching (VIT)​To strengthen the roles and responsibilities of the VIT and the VRQA in relation to community safety in Victoria.8 October 2019​Memorandum of understanding with the VIT relating to registered schools in Victoria (pdf - 383.92kb)
Labour Hire Licensing Authority Formalises information sharing arrangements and procedures between the VRQA and the Labour Hire Licensing Authority. 13 August 2019 ​Memorandum of understanding with the Labour Hire Licensing Authority relating relating to apprenticeships and traineeships (pdf - 392kb)
Catholic Education Commission of Victoria Sets out arrangements with CECV as a review body that manages Victorian Catholic school registration applications, including to provide senior secondary courses, and reviews and monitors compliance with the prescribed minimum standards for the registration of schools. 24 June 2019 ​Memorandum of understanding with the Catholic Education Commission of Victoria relating to schools registration (pdf - 1.65mb)
​Victorian Skills Commissioner
 Formalises information sharing arrangements and procedures between the VRQA and Victorian Skills Commissioner.​25 May 2019
 Memorandum of understanding with the Victorian Skills Commissioner relating to apprenticeships and traineeships (pdf - 4.12mb)
​Energy Safe Victoria ​To enable joint quality assurance arrangements for the vocational education and training sector and efficient, effective communication to apprentices about safety and legislation. ​5 November 2018 ​Memorandum of understanding with Energy Safe Victoria relating to apprenticeships and traineeships (pdf - 220.92kb)
​Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business (Commonwealth Government) ​A cooperative and mutually supportive approach to facilitate the effective regulation and administration of apprenticeships and traineeships in Victoria. ​6 August 2018 (extended on 13 August 2019) Memorandum of understanding with the Department of Employment, Skills, Small and Family Business relating to apprenticeships and traineeships (pdf - 887.43kb)
Apprenticeship Employment Network​ To assist the VRQA
to fulfil its responsibilities as the agency responsible for regulation of GTOs in Victoria​. 		6 February 2018 Memorandum of understanding​​​​​​ with the Apprenticeship Employment Network and relating to the regulation of GTOs (pdf - 297.51kb)
​Department of Education and Training​ To facilitate information sharing for the effective regulation of schools and early childhood service providers in Victoria.

12 December 2017​

 Memorandum of understanding with the Department of Education and Training relating to the regulation of schools and early childhood service providers (pdf - 3.15mb)
Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority (ACARA) Covers licensing of Acara data and the provision of VRQA data. 24 December 2015 Memorandum of understanding with the Australian Curriculum, Assessment and Reporting Authority relating to the provision of data (pdf - 2.31mb)
Victorian WorkCover Authority Details agreed arrangements and procedures between the Victorian Workcover Authority and the VRQA. September 2015 Memorandum of understanding with the Victorian WorkCover Authority relating to information sharing protocols and cooperation (pdf - 5.62mb)
Victorian Institute of Teaching Establishes a working relationship between the two organisations, to guide collaboration, coordination and mutual assistance in respect the functions of each organisation. 29 December 2014 Memorandum of understanding with the Victorian Institute of Teaching relating to collaboration and mutual assistance (pdf - 3.01mb)
Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) Establishes a working relationship between the VRQA and the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET), and guides collaboration, and mutual assistance between the organisations.​ 30 October 2014 Memorandum of understanding with the Australian Council for Private Education and Training (ACPET) relating to collaboration and mutual assistance (pdf - 2.2mb)
Department of Education and Training Data transfer between VRQA State Register and DET Entity Register. 22 April 2009 ​Memorandum of understanding​​ with the Department of Education and Training relating to Data transfer (pdf - 462.17kb) ​
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