VPRS 20708 School Council Minute Books

This series comprises volumes recording the minutes of meetings held by the School Council for Wodonga West State School (School No. 1058) (VA 5415). 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.

本系列汇编收录了伍东加西区州立学校（第1058号学校，档案编号VA 5415）校务委员会的会议记录。维多利亚州的地方学校委员会与校务委员会自该州公立教育初创之时便已以各类形式存在。1974年以前，每所小学均设有由家长组成的校委会，而中学与技术学校则设立由家长及其他社区成员构成的校务理事会。1975年，《1958年教育法》完成修订，允许全州公立学校设立拥有统一职权的校务委员会。

1983年，教育部长发布多项新政策，将决策权责从州政府下放至各所学校，要求校长与教职工向当地社区汇报并阐释本校的教育项目。同年年末，《教育法》完成修订，赋予校务委员会在部长制定的框架内确定学校总体教育政策的职权。该修订案于1984年正式生效，彼时全州所有校务委员会均按照政府制定的成员组成指南完成重组。

现今维多利亚州的校务委员会依据《2006年教育与培训改革法》《2017年教育与培训改革条例》、部长令以及校务委员会自身的教育部长组建令运作。该组建令明确规定了委员会的成员构成、规模与架构、目标、职权、职能与问责要求，以及其执行长官（即学校校长）的职责。校务委员会成员包括校长、教职工代表、家长及更广泛的社区代表，与教育部门（档案编号VA 5283）共同承担学校治理职责。

校务委员会负责的事务涵盖校园场地与建筑的状况维护（包括组织维护、修缮与清洁工作）、对学校运营与管理的评议，以及法规规定的其他职责。

校务委员会的职能包括制定并监督学校的发展方向，核心职责涵盖治理工作、战略规划、财务、政策制定与评估。此外，校务委员会的关键职能还包括维护校园场地与设施、签订相关合约（例如规范并便利非教学时段使用校园场地）、每年向学校社区与教育部门提交报告，以及听取并吸纳社区的意见与诉求。

针对校务委员会的每一次会议，均需完整记录全部议事过程，列明所有出席成员的姓名，以及所有对动议投赞成票与反对票的人员名单。会议记录涵盖校务委员会负责的各类事务，按照议程条目撰写，由校长在下次校务委员会会议前分发，经当次会议主持的校务委员会主席确认无误后签字生效。

本系列档案中还可能包含校务委员会正式成立前的原校委会，以及校务委员会下属委员会的相关记录。