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

Home Schools

Home schools applying for PACER need to complete the online application form. They must attach a copy of the itinerary and this needs to have dates and session times, along with booking confirmations.

Home schools are required to participate in at least three of the four mandatory PACER institutions, booked when submitting their online application. Please Complete the ‘Visit’ tab with dates and times of all the institutions you are attending, this includes Mandatory, Alternative and Attraction’s as per your attached Itinerary.

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

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.  PACER Zone 0 receives $5 per student (without additional loadings) and has a requirement for Zone 0 schools to attend 2 mandatory institutions rather than the usual 3.

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.
  • 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 Gallery Students must participate in a civics and citizenship education program (with a choice of education programs):
    1. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander activism
    2. Living Values
    3. Portraits Power & People
  • 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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