VPRS 20179 School Council Minute Books

This series comprises volumes recording the minutes of meetings held by the School Council for Albert Park Primary School (School No. 1181) (VA 5458). 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.

本系列包含阿尔伯特公园小学（学校编号1181）校务委员会（School Council）会议纪要卷宗（档案编号VA 5458）。自维多利亚州公立教育体系创立之初，地方学校委员会与校务委员会便以各类形式存在。直至1974年，所有小学均设立由家长组成的学校委员会，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委员会。1975年，《1958年教育法》历经修订，允许全州公立学校设立拥有统一职权的校务委员会。1983年，教育部长推出多项新政策，将决策权责从州政府下放至各学校，要求校长与教职工向本地社区汇报并阐释本校教育方案。1983年末，《教育法》再度修订，赋予校务委员会在教育部长制定的框架内确定学校整体教育政策的权责。该修订案于1984年正式生效，彼时所有校务委员会均需依照政府关于成员构成的指引完成改组。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》、部长令以及教育部长签署的校务委员会组建令开展工作。该组建令明确规定了校务委员会的成员构成、规模与架构、目标、职权、职能与问责机制，以及其执行长官（即校长）的职责。校务委员会成员包括校长、教职工代表、家长代表及广大社区代表，与教育部（VA 5283）共同承担治理职责。校务委员会负责多项事务，涵盖校园场地与建筑状况维护（包括组织修缮、翻新与清洁工作）、就学校运营与管理形成意见，以及法规规定的其他职责。校务委员会负责制定并监督学校发展方向，核心职责涵盖治理、战略规划、财务、政策制定与评估等方面。校务委员会的关键职能还包括维护校园场地与设施；签订相关合同，例如规范并推动课后时段使用校园场地与校舍；每年向学校社区及教育部提交报告；以及代表社区并吸纳社区意见。针对校务委员会的每一次会议，均需记录全部议事过程，同时列明所有出席成员以及对各项动议投赞成票与反对票的人员名单。会议纪要涵盖校务委员会负责的各类事务，以议程项目为标题进行整理，并由校长在下一次校务委员会会议前分发，经会议主持的校务委员会主席确认内容无误后签字生效。本档案集还可能包含校务委员会正式设立前的原学校委员会以及校务委员会各小组委员会所产生的记录。