The role of a parent group as an Affiliated Committee of a Governing Council is seen as  being an essential element of the partnership principle.  It will provide a forum for consultation with the school and its community to assist and advise the Governing Council in fulfilling this requirement in its responsibilities.

 

Existing parent groups already provide the opportunity for this to occur.  Where no Affiliated Committee currently exists, the setting up of a similar group, or strengthening existing less formal ones, would be advantageous.

 

The Affiliated Committee may nominate a member to act as its nominee to the Governing Council, and representatives to the Finance Advisory Committee and such other school or SAASPC and Area meetings as required. This nominee and other representatives will be required to report to and from meetings of the Group.

 

As set out in the DECD Model Constitution, the object of an Affiliated Committee is ‘to support the involvement of the school community in the school.

 

As listed as options in the Model Constitution, part 5, and used in SAASPC's version of the DECD draft constitution (downloadable as a PDF ), an Affiliated Committee may:

 

• 5.1.1  Provide a means of contact between home and school
  
  
• The Parent Club, and other less formal parents’ groups, traditionally have been a means of providing this contact in a number of ways which are inclusive of parents who otherwise may feel diffident about participating in school activities.
  
  
• 5.1.2  Assist parents to gain skills to participate in the decision making of the school
  
  
• Recent studies have shown that parents need to feel comfortable with the level of  their participation in school activities. The less formal atmosphere of a parent group can encourage participation and act as a base for nurturing skills and providing information about policies and procedures, which can lead to their readiness to serve confidently on the Council.
  
  
• 5.1.3  To develop and maintain interest in the welfare of children at school
  
  
• Again, the Parent Group is the forum for providing information about matters affecting children’s welfare and learning, and the opportunity to provide input.
  
  
• 5.1.4  Support the Principal and the school staff to enhance student learning
  
  
• This is achieved by providing another avenue for the Principal and staff to inform, discuss and ‘sound out’ parent opinion on issues affecting students and their learning.
  The Affiliated Committee provides the means to extend parents’ understanding of school policy and programs. 
  It can also act as a conduit for forming a liaison between parents, teachers and students.
  
  
• 5.3 The Affiliated Committee may raise funds for school related purposes
  
  

Experience has shown that willingness and enthusiasm to hold fundraising activities is enhanced when there is opportunity to have input into how these funds are spent.

 

It is good practice

 

• for the Governing Council to provide a list of spending priorities from which  the Affiliated Committee may choose a project to support
  
  
• for the contribution of the Affiliated Committee to be recognised, eg with appropriate ‘badge-ing’
  
  
• that there is recognition that representation of the Affiliated Committee on the Finance Advisory Committee is essential.
  
  
  

Affiliated Committees are entitled to maintain their own bank account, and it is their decision whether to do so or to seek to become part of an existing Consolidated Account.

 

Where an Affiliated Committee is part of a Consolidated Account it must be provided with a copy of its financial record for each meeting.The budget should also reflect the needs of the Affiliated Committee’s financial requirements such  as affiliation fees, parent participation activities (conferences, seminars etc) and the like.

 

The Affiliated Committee will act as an independent body covered by the liability indemnity insurance available to Councils.  To protect this cover, activities it organises must be approved in advance by the Principal.

 

Council meeting agendas should include a report from the Affiliated Committee.

 

As part of its responsibility to report to the school community generally, the Governing Council should also report regularly to the Affiliated Committee to enhance communication and cooperation between the two bodies.

 

As stated above, the Affiliated Committee will work in partnership to support the Governing Council in fulfilling its obligations under 5.1.1 of its constitution and in achieving the best outcomes for the students in the school.