School Advisory Councils
In early 2021 as a result of the establishment of CEWA Ltd, the former "Catholic School Board" transitioned to a Catholic School Advisory Council (SAC). There began a conversation at this time about the roles and responsibilities of School Advisory Councils and how they differ from those of the Parents and Friends.
Included here is correspondence from Dr Edward Simons and Dr Tony Curry, which was circulated to all schools at the time identifying the differing roles and functions of the School Advisory Council and the Parents and Friends Groups within West Australian Catholic Schools:
Parent Groups within Schools- March 2021.
How CSPWA support SACs
CSPWA advocated strongly for the role of the P&F Representative to the School Board in days past, as a way of ensuring connection between the parent body of the school, the school leadership team and the body through which the Principal seeks advice and input, now called the School Advisory Council.
As identified above, the role of the P&F Representative on the SAC is an important one and brings the perspective of the ‘grass roots’ parent/carer to the deliberations of the SAC. It is also important that each of these bodies is aware of the roles and responsibilities of the other.
The P&F Representative on the SAC is usually nominated and elected at the Annual Community Meeting of the Parent Group (or appointed at a subsequent meeting of the P&F Committee, if they are empowered to do so) and, as a member of the SAC that person is then bound by the Catholic SAC Terms of Reference.
