VPRS 20691 School Council Minute Books

This series comprises volumes recording the minutes of meetings held by the School Council for Mount Eckersley State School (School No. 1720) (VA 5402). 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.

本系列收录记录埃克尔斯利山州立学校（Mount Eckersley State School，第1720号学校，档案编号VA 5402）校理事会（school council）会议纪要的卷宗。自维多利亚州公立教育体系建立之初，地方学校委员会（school committee）与校理事会便以不同形式存续。1974年以前，每所小学均设有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理事会。1975年，针对《1958年教育法》的修订案允许在全州公立学校设立拥有统一职权的校理事会。1983年，教育部长发布多项新政策，将决策职责从州政府下放至各独立学校，要求校长与教职工向本地社区汇报并阐释其教育项目方案。1983年末，《教育法》经修订，赋予校理事会在部长制定的政策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，彼时全州所有校理事会均已按照政府制定的成员构成指南完成重组。维多利亚州的校理事会依据《2006年教育与培训改革法》《2017年教育与培训改革条例》、部长令以及由教育部长签署的校理事会自身组建令开展运作。根据该组建令，校理事会的成员构成、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）的职责均有明确规定。校理事会成员包括学校校长、教职工代表、家长及更广泛的社区代表，他们与档案编号VA 5283的维多利亚州教育部共同承担治理职责。校理事会负责一系列事务，涵盖学校场地与建筑的维护（包括组织修缮、改善与清洁工作）、就学校的运营与管理形成意见，以及履行监管条例规定的其他职责。校理事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、战略规划、财务、政策制定与审查工作。校理事会的关键职能还包括维护学校场地与设施；签订相关合同以规范并便利课后使用学校校舍与场地；每年向学校社区与教育部提交工作报告；以及代表社区并将社区意见纳入决策考量。针对校理事会的每一次会议，均需完整记录全部议事过程的纪要，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。纪要涵盖校理事会负责的各类广泛事务，以议程项目为标题进行编撰，并由校长在下次校理事会会议前分发。纪要经会议确认无误后，由主持会议的校理事会主席签署生效。本数据集还可能包含校理事会正式成立前原学校委员会产生的档案，以及校理事会下设附属委员会的相关记录。