School Council

School councils play a key role in Victorian government schools. Participating as a school council member is a rewarding and challenging experience. The school council supports the Principal to provide the best possible educational outcomes for students.

School Council Membership

A school council's constituting order specifies the total size of the council and the number of members in each category. Most members of a school council are parents of children at the school. A smaller number of members are Department employee members, usually school staff. Government schools with a student cohort of year 7 and above will have two student positions on council. Other members can be co-opted by the council within the limits of the constituting order.

Membership Categories

• A mandated elected parent category: because parents have such an important part to play in schools, there is an elected parent member category. Parent members must comprise more than one-third of council's total membership. Department employees are eligible to be parent members at their child's school, as long as they do not work at the particular school.
  
  
• A mandated elected Department employee category: Department employees include staff members at the school. Members of this category may make up no more than one third of the total membership of school council. As the executive officer, the principal of the school is automatically one of these members.
  
  
• A mandated student member category (2 positions): all schools with year 7 students and above have a mandated student member category. Students in year 7 and above enrolled at the school are eligible to nominate for membership.
  
  
• An optional community member category: members are co-opted by the council because of their special skills, interests or experience. Department employees are not eligible to be community members.

2025 College Council Members