Victorian Council of School Organisations Inc.

For School Councils

School Councils are the legal entities which govern Victorian Public Schools. They are constituted under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, are composed of Parents and Department of Education employees, and in many cases community representatives and students.

School Councils are responsible for setting the strategic direction of the school within government guidelines and provide an oversight role in terms of the effective and proper use of public funds to provide high quality public - free, universal and secular - education.

In addition to the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, School Councils also operate under the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2007 and the Public Administration Act 2004.

The Department of Education has a suite of materials available online for schools councillors. These materials can be found at www.education.vic.gov.au/management/governance/schoolcouncils/default.htm

Information about strategic planning within the Department's Accountability Framework, including school reviews, annual reports, school level reports and the accountability cycle timeframe, can be found at www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/standards/account/index.htm

Information about the funding of school education through the Student Resource Package can be found at www.sofweb.vic.edu.au/schoolfinance.

Information about the funding of capital works through the Building Futures Program can be found at www.education.vic.gov.au/about/directions/buildingfutures/default.htm

General information about Victorian public schools can be found in the Victorian Schools Reference Guide at www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/referenceguide.

Frequently Asked Questions.

What is the legal status of school councils?

School councils are legal entities constituted under section 2.3 of the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. Removal of Agent of the Crown Status from the previous Act has meant that school councils are liable for their debts, actions and decisions, unless the Minister or Secretary has agreed to accept liability on their behalf. School councils can sue and be sued, however the initiation or defence of legal proceedings is governed by department guidelines. Unlike directors of companies however, individual school councillors are not personally liable when they act in good faith in their capacity as school councillors. For further info see 'Making the Partnership Work' or the 'Victorian Schools Reference Guide' www.eduweb.vic.gov.au/referenceguide.

Who can be on a school council?

Membership of School Council is open to parents of children at the school and Dept. of Education employees working in the school. DoE employees may be elected to the DoE category, or to the parent category if they currently have a child at the school. The principal is automatically a member of school council assuming the position of Executive Officer. Many school councils also have a capacity to co-opt community members. These community member positions can be filled by student representatives, members of the wider community or those with particular skills. DoE employees cannot be co-opted as community members. More than 1/3 of school council members must be parents.

What are the terms of office for school councillors?

Both elected and co-opted school councillors have a two year terms of office. However, if a person is co-opted to fill a casual vacancy, their term is only for the remainder of the term of the vacated position. Office bearers are elected for one year. Some school councils have rules in their Standing Orders limiting the number of consecutive years a particular person can be elected to a particular office bearers position.

Can school councils conduct closed meetings?

VICCSO endorses the guidelines in the "Victorian Schools Reference Guide", that "It is expected that school council meetings would, as normal practice, be open to members of the school community and be conducted according to standard meeting requirements". There are circumstances in which it may be advisable to close school council meetings, such as where there are issues of personal privacy or legal confidentiality. Examples include: * the selection and appointment of a new school principal (not including the setting of local criteria which should ideally be done with a high level of involvement from the whole school community); * school council employment; * legal proceedings involving school council. Meeting procedures should be documented in the council's Standing Orders, and may include a statement supporting open meetings unless there is a need for a high level of confidentiality.

What is the role of the principal compared to the role of the school council?

The School Council has responsibility for the development of school policy and the strategic plan. The Principal is responsible for the implementation of school policy and strategic plan and the day-to-day operation of the school. The area of overlap in the responsibilities of school council and principal is not defined absolutely. It therefore has the potential to provide the basis for an effective, productive and rewarding collaborative relationship, or alternatively to foster conflict. Both School Council and the Principal should work together to ensure that decision-making processes are consistent and transparent, and representative of the wider school community.

What role does the school council have in terms of curriculum?

School Council is responsible for the development of a strategic plan, the focus of which is student outcomes, within the framework of guidelines set by the Department of Education. These guidelines include a statewide Curriculum and Standards framework - VELS, the Victorian Essential Learning Standards, which schools are required to report against to the Department of Education. While in some ways this may encourage a perception that reporting against the VELS therefore requires a prescriptive curriculum, schools are encouraged to adopt curriculum content, teaching methods and school organisation models that are suited to the needs of their students, with the objective of meeting those needs and of meeting statewide standards. For more information about the VELS go to the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority at www.vcaa.vic.edu.au.