Students on School Council

Election of Two Students Representatives to School Council

It is now a requirement for all School Councils to have student representation on them and we are very excited to be announcing the opportunity for students to stand for these positions. Two positions will be available on School Council and nominations are called from students in Year 7 and above.

What do I need to do to stand for election?

Nomination forms can be collected from the General Office from Monday 14 May at 8.30am and will close on Monday 21 May at 4pm. You will receive a Nomination Form Receipt following submission of the completed nomination.

If you decide to stand for election, you can arrange for a student in Year 7 or above at your school to nominate you as a candidate or you can nominate yourself (self-nomination) for the Student category.

Are there any rules on how I campaign?

If more than two candidates stand for Council then each candidate should prepare a brief statement to be distributed with each ballot paper. Campaign literature supporting candidates for school council elections may only be distributed by the office via newsfeed on Compass to the students of the College. The length should be no longer than 150 words. Candidates will be informed if a ballot is required.

What is a school council and what does it do?

All government schools in Victoria have a school council. School councils are legal entities that are given powers to set the key directions of a school within state-wide guidelines. In doing this, a school council is able to directly influence the quality of education that the school provides for its students.

What are some of the duties of a school councillor?

The school council has particular functions in setting and monitoring the school’s direction.

School councils have three main responsibilities:

Finance: overseeing the development and expenditure of the school’s annual budget and ensuring proper records are kept of the school’s financial operation.
Strategic Planning: participating in the development and monitoring of the school strategic plan.
Policy Development and Review: developing, reviewing and updating policies that reflect the school’s values and support the school’s broad direction outlined in its strategic plan.

Other key functions of school councils may include:

Raising funds for school related purposes
Maintaining school grounds and facilities
Entering into contracts
Reporting annually to the school community and the department
Creating interest in the school in the wider community
Representing and taking the views of the community into account
Regulating and facilitating after-hours use of school premises and grounds
Operating a children’s service at the school.

Meetings are held in the evenings twice per term at the school. Transport to and from the meeting will be the responsibility of parents/guardians.

Further information will be sent to students via Compass newsfeed and can also be found at the following website:

http://www.education.vic.gov.au/school/principals/spag/governance/Pages/election.aspx

Ms Linda Brown

Principal