RTOs - diversity and equity

Supporting children from different backgrounds, characteristics or beliefs.

About the Standard

This Standard requires RTOs to:

  • recognise and respond to diversity
  • understand that some children are more vulnerable to abuse than others.

RTOs must ensure that they:

  • understand children’s diverse backgrounds, circumstances and needs
  • make any necessary adjustments and provide equal protection to all children
  • consider the needs of children who are unable to live at home as well as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex children
  • pay attention to the needs of non-binary and gender diverse children.

How to comply

An RTO must be able to provide evidence of:

  • publicly available policies and procedures designed to be accessible to support children from diverse circumstances
  • the steps it takes to include children who are:
    • from culturally and linguistically diverse backgrounds
    • Aboriginal
    • with disability
    • unable to live at home
    • lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or intersex
  • how it provides staff and volunteers with professional development to improve their understanding of responding to the needs of children from diverse backgrounds
  • meeting agendas and minutes that support the RTO's actions to include children from diverse backgrounds.

Examples of compliance

An RTO complying with this Standard may have:

  • policy and procedural documents that clearly communicate the RTO’s commitment to engage and support students from diverse circumstances
  • a business plan or strategy that details the RTO’s activities relating to engaging students from diverse backgrounds
  • communication resources including website material that shows the RTO's commitment to promoting diversity and equity. For example information about its policies or procedures that is available in:
    • a range of different languages
    • accessible formats to students, families and their communities
  • student support services and resources that encourage or promote students from diverse backgrounds to access vocational education and training.

Updated