Instructions from the Secretary, Department of Education, for the Operation of School Associations in Government Schools and Colleges of Tasmania.

1. School association instructions

2. School associations and their committees

3. Selecting school associations from school communities

4. School association committee elections

5. Casual vacancies information for school associations

6. Appointment to the school association committee

7. Operations of school association committees

8. Alterations to the school association constitution

9. Disputes information for school associations

10. Winding up school associations

A Letter from the Secretary

School Communities and School Associations in Tasmania

Students, parents, school staff and some members of the broader community together form school communities, the group of people who have the welfare of their school at heart. Without the community groups that exist in schools today, many schools could not survive, and schools would be less rich environments than they currently are.

School communities contribute in varied ways to the life of their school. These include such things as participation in the development of school policies, the contribution of expertise to special projects within the school, fundraising activities, such as school fairs and commercial activities such as school canteens.

Amendments made in 2003 to the Education Act 1994 make it compulsory for all schools to have a School Association, with a constitution approved by the Minister for Education.

These instructions provide the direction and examples that will enable School Associations and their committees to provide good management of their activities.

The arrangements will ensure that the many organisations that form school communities can choose to continue and that their members will have the risk cover that is required when undertaking approved voluntary activities for the benefit of the school, and reasonable care is exercised.

The instructions are written to allow as much flexibility as possible so that they can be applied to the varied circumstances of all Tasmanian government schools. This flexibility will also allow schools to amend their arrangements as their circumstances change.

Dr Martyn Forrest
Secretary
October 2004

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