VPRS 20467 School Council Minute Books

This series comprises volumes recording the minutes of meetings held by the School Council for Leopold Primary School (School No. 1146) (VA 4545). Local school committees and councils have existed in some form since the beginning of State education in Victoria. Until 1974, each primary school had a school committee made up of parents, while high schools and technical schools had councils comprised of parents and other community members. In 1975, changes to the Education Act 1958 allowed the establishment of school councils with common powers across State schools.  In 1983, the Minister of Education released several new policies shifting the responsibility of decision-making from the State onto individual schools, with the principal and staff to report on and explain their education programs to their local school community. In late 1983 the Education Act was amended to give the school council responsibility for determining the general education policy of the school within the guidelines set by the Minister. The amendment became effective in 1984, by which time all school councils were re-constituted to fit government guidelines on membership. School councils in Victoria operate under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006, the Education and Training Reform Regulations 2017, Ministerial Orders, and the school council’s own constituting Order of the Minister of Education. Under this Order, the council’s membership, size and configuration, objectives, powers, functions and accountabilities, and the role of its executive officer (the school principal), is laid out. Members comprise the School Principal, representatives of the teaching staff, parents and the wider community. They share governance responsibilities with the Department of Education (VA 5283). Councils are responsible for a range of matters including the condition of the school grounds and buildings (including the organisation of maintenance, improvement and cleaning work), forming opinions about the school's conduct and management and other duties prescribed by regulations. The school council has functions in setting and monitoring the school’s direction, with primary responsibilities around governance, strategic planning, finance, policy and review. Critical functions of school councils also included maintaining school grounds and facilities; entering into contracts such as regulating and facilitating after-hours use of school premises and grounds; reporting annually to the school community and the Department; and representing and taking the views of the community into account.      For each meeting of the school council, minutes of all proceedings are recorded together with the names of all members present and all who vote for and against motions. The minutes relate to the wide range of activities for which the council is responsible. They are written under agenda item headings and circulated by the principal prior to the next meeting of council, where they are confirmed as accurate and signed by the school council president presiding at the meeting. Records created by the former school committee, prior to the formal establishment of school councils, and sub-committees of the school council may also be included.

本系列卷宗收录了利奥波德小学（学校编号1146）学校理事会（School Council）的会议纪要（VA 4545）。

自维多利亚州公立教育体系建立以来，本地学校委员会与理事会便以某种形式存在。1974年以前，每所小学均设有由家长组成的学校委员会，而高中及技术学校则设有由家长及其他社区成员组成的理事会。1975年，《1958年教育法》修订后，允许在全州学校范围内设立拥有共同权力的学校理事会。

1983年，教育部长发布多项新政策，将决策权从州政府转移至各学校，要求校长及教职工向本地学校社区报告并解释其教育项目。同年晚些时候，《教育法》修订案赋予学校理事会在部长制定的指导方针内确定学校总体教育政策的职责，该修订案于1984年生效，届时所有学校理事会均需重组以符合政府关于成员构成的指导原则。

维多利亚州的学校理事会依据《2006年教育与培训改革法》《2017年教育与培训改革条例》、部长令及学校理事会自身的《教育部长组成令》运作。该组成令规定了理事会的成员构成、规模与结构、目标、权力、职能与责任，以及其执行官（即学校校长）的角色。理事会成员包括校长、教职工代表、家长及更广泛的社区成员，并与教育部（VA 5283）共享治理责任。理事会负责一系列事务，包括校舍与场地状况（含维护、改善及清洁工作的组织）、对学校运营管理提出意见，以及法规规定的其他职责。学校理事会的职能包括设定和监督学校发展方向，核心职责涵盖治理、战略规划、财务、政策制定与审查。其关键职能还包括维护校舍场地与设施、签订合同（如规范并便利校外时间对学校场地的使用）、每年向学校社区及教育部报告，以及代表社区并考虑其意见。

学校理事会每次会议均需记录所有议程内容、出席成员名单及对议案投赞成或反对票的人员。会议纪要涉及理事会负责的各类活动，按议程项目标题撰写，并由校长在下一次会议前分发；会议期间，纪要需经确认准确无误后，由主持会议的理事会主席签署。

本系列还可能包含学校理事会正式成立前原学校委员会的记录，以及理事会下属委员会的记录。