College Council Elections
Nominations for vacant College Council positions are now called
The timeline is as follows:
Thursday 19 February Nominations open
Thursday 26 February Nominations close at 4:00pm
Monday 2 March Ballot papers distributed if election is necessary
Wednesday 11 March Ballot closes
Friday 13 March Announcement of ballot results
Tuesday 17 March College Council Meeting
Vacancies arising for 2026 are:
3 parent representatives
1 student representative and
1 school employee representative.
In addition, up to four community members will be appointed. Community members may be co-opted when deemed appropriate by the College Council.
Department employees who are parents are able to stand for election as parent members at their child’s school (maximum of two).
There will be three separate elections, one for parent members, one for student members and one for school employees.
What is a School Council and what does it do?
All government schools in Victoria have a school council. They are legally constituted bodies that set the broad direction of a school and provide oversight of school decisions and finances. Their roles are guided by rules and laws including Ministerial Order 1280 (Constitution of Government School Councils) 2020, the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017 and the Education and Training Reform Act 2006.
Who is on the School Council?
There are several possible categories of school council membership:
• parent membership category – members of this category must make up more than one third of the school council’s total membership. A parent member can be any person who has parental responsibility for a student enrolled at the school.
• school employee membership category –members of this category may make up no more than one-third of the total membership of school council. The principal of the school is automatically a member of this category.
• community membership category – if a school council includes a community membership category, members are co-opted by a decision of the school council. The decision may be based on their special skills or to provide broader representation of diversity in the school community. Department of Education employees are not eligible to be community members on school council.
• nominee membership category –a small number of school councils have nominee members.
• student membership category – all schools with a Year 7 and above student cohort have a student membership category with 2 positions allocated, unless they have sought an exemption.
Why is parent membership so important?
Parents on school councils provide important viewpoints and have valuable skills that can help shape the direction of the school.
Those parents who become active on a school council find their involvement satisfying and may also find that their children feel a greater sense of belonging.
Do I need special experience to be on School Council?
Each member brings their own valuable life skills and knowledge to the role. Councillors may need to develop skills and acquire knowledge in areas that are unfamiliar to them. What you do need is an interest in your child's school and the desire to work in partnership with others to help shape the school's future.
Code of conduct for school council members
School councils in Victoria are public entities as defined by the Public Administration Act 2004. School council members must comply with the Code of Conduct for Directors of Victorian Public Entities issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commission. The Code of Conduct is based on the Victorian public sector values and requires school council members to:
• act with honesty and integrity – be truthful, open and clear about their motives and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest and duty
• act in good faith in the best interests of the school – work cooperatively with other council members and the school community, be reasonable, and make all decisions with the best interests of students foremost in their minds
• act fairly and impartially – consider all relevant facts of an issue before making a decision, seek to have a balanced view, never give special treatment to a person or group and never act from self-interest
• use information appropriately – respect confidentiality and use information for the purpose for which it was made available
• exercise due care, diligence and skill – accept responsibility for decisions and do what is best for the school
What do you need to do to stand for a council election?
The principal will issue a Notice of election and call for nominations in term 1 of each year and let you know where you can get a nomination form. You can nominate yourself in the parent membership category by filling in the nomination form. Parent members are required to hold a valid Working with Children Clearance (WWWC) to nominate for a position on school council. The only exception to this requirement is parents who are also teachers and hold a current VIT registration. If you work at your child’s school, then you are not eligible to run in the parent membership category, but you can nominate for the school employee membership category. If you work for the Department of Education somewhere other than your child’s school, then you are eligible to nominate for parent membership at that school. However, there is a limit to the number of department employees who can hold office in the parent membership category. Check with your school’s principal. You must return your completed nomination form (see below) to administration within the time stated on the notice of election. You will receive a nomination form receipt via email.
How do I get a Working with Children Clearance, and does it cost money?
You can apply for a Working with Children Check(WWCC) through the Services Victoria website. School council members are volunteers which means that applying for a WWCC is free. When applying for a WWCC, parents must:
• nominate the Department of Education as the organisation they are working for when applying for a Working with Children Check
• provide evidence of their Working with Children Clearance as soon as practicable after receiving it (or via the school council nomination form).
Remember
- Ask at the school for help if you would like to stand for election and are not sure what to do
- Consider standing for election to council this year
- Be sure to vote in the elections
Stace Kerr
Business Manager