School Councils

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. The school council is the group of people who govern the school. It is given the power to set the key directions for the school, and is a legal entity in its own right. A school council directly influences the quality of education that a school provides to its students.

This website supports existing and prospective school councillors in their roles and school council processes. The materials available here are designed as part of a flexible training and support program, and can be accessed online by individual school councillors or provided as part of a formal group training session. Further information on training options will be available here shortly.

Governance

In March 2005, Minister Allan commissioned the Review of School Governance in Victorian Government Schools to engage school communities, stakeholder groups and the wider community in a consultation on governance arrangements for government schools. The review recommendations included legislative changes that have been incorporated into the new Education and Training Reform Act 2006 and improved administrative processes, support and training for school councils.

Key Documents

The following key documents provide an overview of school council roles and processes. 

• Introduction to School Councils: a guide for prospective members (PPT - 857Kb)
• Introduction to School Councils: an induction program (PPT - 969Kb)
• Making the Partnership Work (PDF - 805Kb)

* All powerpoint presentations contain explanatory notes, which may be viewed once the document is downloaded.