1300 368 248
pacer@busyatwork.com.au

Eligibility and Requirements

Home Apply Eligibility and Requirements

Eligibility

To be eligible schools are required to participate in PACER approved programs with at least three of the four Mandatory PACER Institutions booked when submitting an online application. The four mandatory institutions are:

  1. Australian Parliament House – Guided tour  – Max 50 students, 4 x sessions can enter at any one time (1 hour program).
  2. Museum of Australian Democracy (MoAD) – Max 50 students per session (1 hour program).
  3. National Electoral Education Centre (NEEC) – Max 45 primary students per session or Max 40 secondary students per session (90min program).
  4. Australian War Memorial (AWM) – Max 110 students per session (45 min program).
    NOTE: During the Australian War Memorial Development project:

    • We have limited building capacity for WHS reasons. Due to this, our capacity for students each hour (9am-3pm on weekdays) is 110 students. This 110 can be split over 2 schools in the same hour. On weekends this capacity is reduced to 60 students each hour (1pm-3pm).
    • Schools are asked during our orientation time to divide into smaller groups. The number of groups depends on a few factors such as the age/abilities of the students, the number of staff we have that day etc. For majority of programs, we divide into groups of 15 students per Australian War Memorial educator.
    • For our School Wreath Laying Ceremonies at 8.30am on Tues, Weds & Thurs, we can accommodate up to 90 students from one school. Four of those students will have an active role: laying wreath and speaking roles. For the Last Post Ceremony each day (weekday and weekend) we can accommodate up to 60 students split between two schools. Each school for the Last Post Ceremony is given the opportunity to have 2 students lay a wreath.
    • All our offerings, capacity limits and timeslots can be found here. While we are undergoing this substantial construction, we are unable to offer teacher-guided time and schools must exit the site at the conclusion of their booking.

Home Schools

Home schools applying for PACER need to complete the online application form. They must attach a copy of the itinerary that includes dates, session times and booking confirmations.

It is a requirement to participate in at least three of the four mandatory PACER institutions and provide booking confirmations at the time of the application. Please complete the ‘Visit’ tab with dates and times of all the institutions you are attending, this includes Mandatory, Alternative and Attractions as per your attached Itinerary.

Ensure to attach a current home school certificate for each student attending Canberra. Please also attach a copy of the unit of work that is being studied in class re: (Civics and Citizenship).

Home school applications submitted up until 31 December 2025 will also receive the ICSEA and Remoteness category funding.

ICSEA Assessment

Loadings for home schools will be determined by the lower of two scores: the average ICSEA score within the local government area (LGA) or the postcode of the home school.

This approach ensures that funding is equitably and consistently distributed, reflecting the diverse educational settings across different regions.

Geographic Loadings

Home schools located in Outer Regional, Remote, or Very Remote areas will automatically receive additional loadings based on their physical address, in line with PACER zoning criteria.

Applications must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the excursion.

Standard PACER Requirements

The current PACER eligibility requirements state that schools must visit at least three of the four mandatory institutions and the principle purpose of the tour must be to enhance student learning in civics and citizenship education.

If in the event that a mandatory institution is fully booked, then a PACER program at an alternative institution may be booked. Written evidence that the mandatory institution is fully booked is required for this to be deemed eligible.

The mandatory and alternative institutions and their PACER approved programs are listed at Attachment A.

Schools must also meet all of the following eligibility requirements:

  • Applications must be submitted at least three weeks prior to the excursion.
  • Funding is available for students in Years 4-12 only. Teachers or other adults accompanying the students are not eligible for a rebate.
  • Applications must ensure that the Primary email is the school’s email address then any subsequent emails i.e. (Contact person & Teacher in charge)
  • School’s travelling together need to submit their own separate application and have correct itinerary (ie: schools letterhead or schools name) along with correct student numbers highlighted.
  • When submitting your application please ensure that ALL Institutions, session times, dates and student numbers are inserted in the ‘Visit’ tab of the application. This needs to be done for the online verification of student numbers at the institutions (This information is reported to the education department).
  • Add all Mandatory Institutions and session dates and times as per attached itinerary.
  • Add all Alternative Institutions and session dates and times as per attached itinerary.
  • Add all Attractions and dates as per attached itinerary.
  • Number of eligible students on excursion should total the same as planned number of students in session times.
  • Schools must report on the funding your school receives for each student, and activities undertaken, in your school newsletter or equivalent.

View Example of how to complete your online application form (PDF)


Student numbers verified by:

  • Each PACER approved institutions (either mandatory or alternative) visited during the excursion in Canberra will verify student numbers via the online app. (No longer required stamping of visitation forms).

Alternative Institutions

If a mandatory institution is fully booked or a timeslot cannot be secured, written evidence that the mandatory institution is fully booked out or is not available is required for this to be deemed eligible.

Here is the list of Alternative Institutions:

  • Government House
  • High Court of Australia
  • National Archives of Australia
  • National Portrait GalleryStudents must participate in a civics and citizenship education program (with a choice of education programs):
    1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism ( Year Levels 5-8)
    2. Civics and Citizenship
  • National Museum of Australia Students must participate in a civics and citizenship education program (with a choice of education programs):
    1. The Story of Country
    2. Country and Connection
    3. A Living Culture
    4. Deadly Defining Moments
    5. Indigenous Rights and Freedom
    6. Making a Nation
    7. Meet the People
  • National Capital Authority – Students must participate in a civics and citizenship education program (with a choice of education programs):
    1. How We Remember: (ANZAC Parade)
    2. The Griffin Mission; (The story of Canberra)
    3. Our Shared Journey: (Reconciliation Place)
  • National Gallery of Australia (Stories of Australian Art program).
  • National Film and Sound Archive’s Media and Me program

Written Evidence

Written evidence must be submitted by any of the below methods:

  • Email confirmation of reservation in each institution or email confirmation that requested bookings are not available
  • Written receipts from either the national Institutions or the Book Canberra Excursions (clear screen shot of this is acceptable).

General Policy

Schools need to make bookings directly with institutions or through tour operators. The service provider, The BUSY Group, does not assist with bookings.

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