Expression of Interest - Community Member Co-option on School Council

Details: Published: 22 February 2021

The school council election process for Greater Shepparton Secondary College is now taking place.

The GSSC School Council Constituting Orders (Section 5) outlines the configuration of the GSSC School Council for 2021 and thereafter – for the elected GSSC School Council.

Schedule 1 of the Constituting Orders state:

6 Parent Reps – which are elected positions
5 DET Reps - 4 of which are elected positions, 1 is the Executive Principal
4 Community Reps – which are co-opted positions
2 Students – which are student leadership positions

The school is currently in an important phase of development and given the desire for school council member diversity and ensuring the student experience is front and centre in GSSC’s governance, we are looking for the four Community positions on School Council to provide a mix of skills and experience

We feel that the following areas are of particular value;

Koorie Community
Multicultural community
Tertiary Education provider
Community/Youth Support Service provider
Business

OBJECTIVES OF SCHOOL COUNCIL

The objectives of a school council are set out in the school council’s constituting Order and section 2.3.4 of the Education and Training Reform Act and are to:

assist in the efficient governance of the school
ensure that its decisions affecting students of the school are made having regard, as a primary consideration, to the best interest of the students
enhance the educational opportunities of students at the school
ensure the school and the council complies with any requirements of the Education and Training Reform Act, the Education and Training Reform Regulations, a Ministerial Order or a direction, guideline or policy issued under the Education and Training Reform Act

CODE OF CONDUCT

Community members generally have the same rights, responsibilities and terms of office as elected members unless otherwise provided in Ministerial Order 1280 Constitution of Government School Councils.

School councillors must abide by the Code of Conduct issued by the Victorian Public Sector Commissioner. The Code of Conduct is based on the Victorian Public Sector Values and requires councillors to:

act with honesty and integrity – be truthful, open and clear about their motives and declare any real, potential or perceived conflict of interest and duty
act in good faith in the best interests of the school – work cooperatively with other councillors and the school community, be reasonable, and make all decisions with the best interests of students foremost in their minds
act fairly and impartially – consider all relevant facts of an issue before making a decision, seek to have a balanced view, never give special treatment to a person or group and never act from self-interest
use information appropriately – respect confidentiality and use information for the purpose for which it was made available
use their position appropriately – not use their position as a councillor to gain an advantage
act in a financially responsible manner – observe all the above principles when making financial decisions
exercise due care, diligence and skill – accept responsibility for decisions and do what is best for the school
comply with relevant legislation and policies – know what legislation and policies are relevant for which decisions and obey the law
demonstrate leadership and stewardship – set a good example, encourage a culture of accountability, manage risks effectively, and exercise care and responsibility to keep the school strong and sustainable.

INSTRUCTIONS

Interested applicants are asked to submit a half page addressing the following key criteria;

Tell us a bit about yourself.
How you fit one or more of the categories?
What skills and knowledge do you bring that can contribute to the school?

Expressions of Interest must be submitted by 4.00pm Monday 15 March 2021 to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Applications will be considered by a panel and applicants will be notified by Friday 19 March 2021

PROCESS AND TIMETABLE

EVENT	DATE
a) Notice of Expression of Interest	Monday 22 February 2021
b) Closing date for Expression of Interest	Monday 15 March 2021 by 4.00pm
c) Date by which the candidates will be notified	Friday 19 March 2021
d) Special council meeting to co-opt Community members (the principal will preside)	Wednesday 24 March 2021
e) First council meeting to elect office bearers (the principal will preside)	Wednesday 24 March 2021

Contact

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