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Consideration Transferred

The Committee of the Legislative Assembly referred this Auditor-General’s report to the Education, Employment and Training Committee on 24 August 2023. On 13 February 2024, the Legislative Assembly amended Schedule 6 of the Standing Rules and Orders of the Legislative Assembly, establishing the Education, Employment, Training and Skills Committee, and transferred the Auditor-General's report to the Education, Employment, Training and Skills Committee for consideration.

OVERVIEW

Role of the Auditor-General

The role of the Auditor-General is to provide Parliament with independent assurance of public sector accountability and performance. This is achieved through reporting to Parliament on the results of its financial and performance audits.

About the Auditor-General Report

View:  online via the Queensland Audit Office webpage

View:  the full report (PDF)

View:  the report on a page (PDF)

The Auditor-General Report 16: 2022-2023 – Education 2022 (the report) was tabled in the Legislative Assembly on 26 June 2023.

The report summarises the audit results of entities in Queensland’s education sector, including the Department of Education, the Department of Youth Justice, Employment, Small Business and Training, TAFE Queensland, seven universities and eight grammar schools.

The report found that:

• the financial statements of all education entities were reliable and complied with relevant requirements
• all education entities had efficient and effective financial statement processes.

The report made one recommendation: that education entities continue to address the security of their information systems. The report emphasised the need for education entities to take immediate and ongoing action to improve cybersecurity.

Other key issues addressed the in the report included:

• the risk management systems and financial positions of universities in Queensland
• the financial sustainability of TAFE Queensland
• challenges affecting the Department of Education’s capital investment program, including plans to build new schools and replace existing buildings
• improvements to internet access at state schools delivered by the Department of Education in the last 2 years.

Referral to Committee

The Committee of the Legislative Assembly referred this Auditor-General report to the Education, Employment and Training Committee on 24 August 2023 under Standing Order 194B for its consideration. 

Standing Order 194B provides that the Committee of the Legislative Assembly shall as soon as practicable after a report of the Auditor-General is tabled in the Assembly refer that report to the relevant portfolio committee(s) for consideration.

The Education, Employment and Training Committee is responsible under section 94 of the Parliament of Queensland Act 2001 for assessing the integrity, economy, efficiency and effectiveness of government financial management by examining government financial documents and considering reports of the Auditor-General.