Policy last updated
14 May 2024
Scope
- Schools
- School councils
Policy
Policy
The purpose of this policy is to provide information on conducting school council elections in accordance with the relevant legal requirements.
Summary
- Principals must conduct school council elections in accordance with Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils .
- The school council election process for all government schools must commence no earlier than the first day of the school year and be completed on or before 31 March for the parent, school employee and student member categories.
- A Ministerial Order is required to hold an election outside of this time.
- Principals are responsible for the conduct of the election but may appoint a person (typically another member of school staff such as an assistant principal) to act on their behalf.
- By 30 April, principals must inform the department's secretary of the council membership by completing and submitting the Declaration of school council membership (formerly Schedule 7) online at the School Council Membership site in the School Council Portal (principal login required).
- The Principals Guide to School Council Elections provides detailed guidance on holding school council elections. Principals must ensure they follow this guide throughout the school council election process.
Details
Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils specifies the total size of the council and the number of members in each category of council. There are 3 mandatory membership categories for a school council:
- parent members
- school employee members
- student members — for schools with students enrolled in years 7 and above
Many school councils also have community members.
Further information about school council membership categories is available under School Council – Composition and Office Bearers.
All parents or carers of students enrolled at the school are eligible to vote for parent members, staff vote for school employee members, and students vote for student members. Community members are co-opted by the school council.
Principals must conduct school council elections in accordance with the Principals Guide to School Council Elections . This will ensure that elections are conducted within the legal framework of Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils.
School Council Portal – declaration of school council membership
By 30 April, principals must inform the department's Secretary of the council membership, by completing and submitting the Declaration of school council (principal or business manager login required) in the School Council Portal. This video provides a summary of how to access, complete and submit the new Declaration of School Council Membership.
Election complaints
Any person who is aggrieved by any matter arising from the conduct of an election may, within 14 days of the date of the declaration of the poll, make a complaint in writing to the principal.
If the principal receives a complaint it must be referred to the school's Regional Director as soon as possible. The Regional Director or nominee will establish a committee to review the complaint and determine how the complaint will be dealt with and resolved.
Related policies
- School Council – Composition and Officer Bearers
- School Council – Meetings
- School Council – Overview
- School Council – Powers and Functions
Relevant legislation
Guidance
Principals Guide to School Council Elections
The Principals Guide to School Council Elections has been developed to assist principals to understand and conduct school council elections in accordance with Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils.
The guide provides advice on the stages of the election to be followed, examples of good practice, relevant forms and schedules to be used and fact sheets for parents, principals and students.
A complete set of schedules relating to elections can be found in the Principals Guide to School Council Elections:
Induction
Induction materials for new school council members can be found in School Council – Training and Good Governance.
These materials include a school council induction video and training options available on the Policy tab, and a sample ‘welcome’ letter for new school council members on the Resources tab.
Student member category – alternative arrangement requirements
Student members on school councils provide unique perspectives that enrich school governance. Schools with students in year 7 and above must have 2 student member positions on their school council, unless the school has sought and received an exemption from this requirement.
If you are a small school, a rural school, a special school, or if other exceptional circumstances exist that justify granting the exemption and your school council does not believe that it can identify suitable student members for their school council, the principal and school council president can apply for an exemption by completing the Student school council member – alternative arrangement form . The principal sends the form to the regional director for approval, demonstrating how the school council will seek student input into their school’s discussion and decision making.
Principals will be required to submit this information to their regional director for consideration by the end of Term 4.
Resources
Resources
Documents to assist you in running an election.
The Principals Guide to School Council Elections
Interactive Online training
To support the conduct of school council elections, principals and members of the school community seeking election to school council can access an Interactive Online training module relating to running school council elections.
School councillors can self-register to access the Interactive Online training through The Big Canvas learning management system (LMS) and complete this module in sections, in their own time and pace in addition to the 5 Improving School Governance Training Modules.
Register Online Interactive training modules for school
Please note that the online ‘Elections’ module should be viewed in conjunction with the information presented in this policy and the Principals Guide to School Council elections.
Two case studies have been developed as examples of how student council elections are conducted and the benefits to students. The case studies are based on feedback created from interviews and focus groups from a number of schools.
Translated documents and resources
Translations of selected schedules in five community languages (Arabic, Dari, Traditional and Simplified Chinese and Vietnamese) are provided below. When the school provides translated schedules to the school community, these documents must be accompanied by the relevant schedule in English.
Fact Sheet 1: School council elections – information for parents
This document can be used for an article in the school newsletter to inform parents about the role of school councils and the election process:
English – ensure this version is provided together with the translation.
- Arabic
- Arabic
- Chinese – Traditional
- Chinese – Traditional
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Simplified
- Dari
- Dari
- Vietnamese
- Vietnamese
Fact Sheet 4 – Information for parents of children seeking election to school council
English – ensure this version is provided with the translation.
- Arabic
- Arabic
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Traditional
- Chinese – Traditional
- Dari
- Dari
- Vietnamese
- Vietnamese
Form 1: Notice of first school council election and call for nominations (formerly Schedule 3)
This form should be used only by new schools conducting their first school council election.
Form 1: Notice of first school council election and call for – ensure this version is provided together with the translation.
- Arabic
- Arabic
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Traditional
- Chinese – Traditional
- Dari
- Dari
- Vietnamese
- Vietnamese
Form 2: Notice of election and call for nominations (formerly Schedule 4)
Form 2 should be used by all schools with an elected school council.
Form 2: notice of election and call for nominations – ensure a copy is provided together with the translation.
- Arabic
- Arabic
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Traditional
- Chinese – Traditional
- Dari
- Dari
- Vietnamese
- Vietnamese
Form 3: Self-nomination form for parent member category (formerly Schedule 5A)
Form 3: Self-nomination form for parent member category – ensure a copy is provided together with the translation.
- Arabic
- Arabic
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Traditional
- Chinese – Traditional
- Dari
- Dari
- Vietnamese
- Vietnamese
Form 4: Nomination form for parent member category (formerly Schedule 5B)
Form 4: Nomination form for parent member category – ensure a copy is provided together with the translation.
- Arabic
- Arabic
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Simplified
- Chinese – Traditional
- Chinese – Traditional
- Dari
- Dari
- Vietnamese
- Vietnamese
Other schedules, factsheets and forms relating to school council elections
The following documents can be found in the Principals Guide to School Council Elections:
- Fact sheet 1: school council elections – information for parents
- Fact sheet 2: information for principals regarding the student member council elections
- Fact sheet 3: information for students seeking election to council
- Fact sheet 4: information for parents of children seeking election to school council
- Fact sheet 5: nominating and voting others to the student member category
- Form 1: new schools – notice of first school council election and call for nominations – first school council election (formerly Schedule 3)
- Form 2: notice of election and calls for nominations (formerly Schedule 4)
- Form 3: self-nomination form for parent member category (formerly Schedule 5A)
- Form 4: nomination form for parent member category (formerly Schedule 5B)
- Form 5: self-nomination form for school employee member category (formerly Schedule 5C)
- Form 6: nomination form for school employee member category (formerly Schedule 5D)
- Form 7: self-nomination form for student member category (formerly Schedule 5E)
- Form 8: nomination form for student member category (formerly Schedule 5F)
- Form 9: candidate nomination form receipt (formerly Schedule 8)
- Form 10: Parent ballot paper (Ordinary) (formerly Schedule 6A)
- Form 11: School employee ballot paper (formerly Schedule 6B)
- Form 12: Parent ballot paper (separate voting for department and non-department parents) (formerly Schedule 6C)
- Form 13: Student ballot paper (formerly Schedule 6D)
Application to change the size and composition of school council (schedule 5) (formerly Schedule 9)
The council completes the application to change the size and the configuration of its membership, within the guidelines provided by the department. The completed application must be forwarded to: school.council@education.vic.gov.au
The application to change the size or composition of school council (Schedule 5) is available in:
- PDF (editable with help text, and auto send) – Application to change the size or composition of school council (Schedule 5)
- DOCX (editable) – Application to change the size or composition of school council (Schedule 5)
Councils are unable to alter the number of student members on council without Ministerial approval. This specific category is fixed at 2 members. Councils are unable to change the number of nominee/appointed members. Refer to the Principals Guide to School Council Elections for further details.
School Council Portal - declaration of school council membership (formerly Schedule 7)
By 30 April, principals must inform the department's Secretary of the council membership, by completing and submitting the Declaration of school council (principal login required) in the School Council Portal. Refer to the Principals Guide to School Council Elections for further details.
This video provides a summary of how to access, complete and submit the new Declaration of School Council Membership.
School council president email details
Each school has an email account specifically for the school council president. To access and/or update the school council president's email account details visit Education (staff login required) to create/update the School Council President email address.
Resetting the Education Mail password for the school council president is the same as resetting the password for staff.
Related department advice
The School Council Skills and Expertise Guide outlines the desired skills and expertise required for effective school governance. It is designed to be used by school councils to identify the skills and expertise that can support school council operations and effective governance.
The School Council Self-Assessment Tool provides support to school councils in evaluating their effectiveness annually, as a group and identifying areas for improvement. The self-assessment tool is now available online in the School Council (principal login required).
The Benefits of Co-opting Community Members to School Councils provides information and guidance on the benefits of community co-option and having community members from the wider local community as part of school council.
The Information to parents document provides information that may be used for an article in the school newsletter or web site to inform parents about the role of school councils and the election process.
The school council induction video provides a summary of the purpose and responsibilities of school councils as well as the roles and responsibilities of school councillors. The video can be viewed at School Council – Training and Good Governance.
Related Ministerial Orders
- Ministerial Order 1280 – Ministerial Order (Constitution of Government School Councils) 2020
- school council variable membership table (Schedule – sets out the various council sizes and configurations available
Contact
The School Operations and Governance Unit (SOGU) of Schools and Regional Services provides advice and guidance on the election process. Principals and school councils can contact SOGU at school.council@education.vic.gov.au or 03 7022 5666.
Reviewed 13 April 2023