Welcome
The School Advisory Council website supports the establishment and ongoing development of School Advisory Councils, which play such an important role in the governance framework of Melbourne Archdiocese Catholic Schools (MACS).
The School Advisory Council provides each school community with a critical forum for parents and the wider parish to which the school belongs or, in the case of regional colleges, the association of parishes that established the school. Priests and principals play a crucial role in establishing and nurturing School Advisory Councils so that they actively embed the life of the local Church in the life of each school (Statement of Mission).
Invitation
This site affirms the importance of ensuring that a School Advisory Council is established in each school. In some school communities, a board or council has operated for many years and the establishment of the School Advisory Council will be a relatively straightforward task. In other contexts, the School Advisory Council will be a new body in the school and new skills, structures and relationships will need to be developed.
The School Advisory Council is a living expression of the principle of subsidiarity in action, and is informed by the theology and vision articulated in the Statement of Mission and Working Together in Mission charter. Terms of Reference have been developed for School Advisory Councils and all of these documents are available via the buttons above.
Over the course of February and March, the following will be made available in the ‘Engagement’ section of this site:
- invitation to attend an online forum introducing the Terms of Reference and outlining the key steps in establishing a School Advisory Council, either as a new entity in your school or by reshaping your current school board or council
- first draft MACS School Advisory Council Manual, which will provide support for working with the Terms of Reference and be the basis for induction
- opportunity to join a reference group which will enable you to participate in the further development of the Manual as the year progresses
- request to complete a brief School Advisory Council survey.