Thursday, 19 March 2026

 Bev McARTHUR (Western Victoria) (13:00): (2256) My question is to the Minister for Education. Minister, I have been contacted by a Surf Coast family whose son Pantxo, an Olympic snowboarding hopeful ranked among the world’s best junior athletes, has been refused entry into year 12 at Surf Coast Secondary College due to attendance requirements. The family state that they were advised by school staff that with supporting documentation from Snow Australia special consideration would allow him to train and compete overseas while completing his studies. Pantxo met his academic requirements and passed his subjects yet was later told he could not progress due to absences, with the school acknowledging key advice was not confirmed in writing. Given that 70 per cent of Australia’s Winter Olympians are privately educated due to greater flexibility, what steps is the minister taking to ensure government schools provide the necessary special consideration and written clarity to support high-achieving athletes like Pantxo?