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How schools are governed

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Introduction

The school councils we know today were introduced in 1975.

Before that, from 1911 onwards, schools were run by parent-nominated committees that represented their local communities.

And going back even further, before 1911, schools were governed by patrons, local committees, and boards of advice. These bodies were usually made up of prominent local figures who often did not have children at the school. As such, their decisions did not always reflect the views of school families or staff.

Early forms of school governance

National and denominational schools (1848 to 1862)

Governed by boards of patrons. Patrons were usually well-known citizens in the community. This group included clergy, doctors, large landowners (squatters), and other male professionals. They were responsible for:

Patrons rarely sent their own children to the school.

Common schools (1862 to 1872)

Local committees managed schools in much the same way as the boards of patrons. There were some slight differences:

Boards of advice (1873 to 1910)

Boards of advice were created under the Education Act 1872. They represented areas based on local government boundaries. Board members were typically elected by ratepayers for three-year terms. The Governor-in-Council could appoint a board if necessary.

In their early years, boards of advice had significant power. They could:

Over time, the central department took on more direct control. This was in part because of tensions between boards and teachers.

Boards became advisory only and lacked powers to compel schools or teachers.

By the early 1900s, boards struggled to find members willing to serve on them. Boards of advice ceased on 3 January 1911 under the terms of the Education Act 1910.

School committees (from 1911)

In 1904, Frank Tate became impressed with New Zealand’s school committee system. Tate was the reformist director of the Education Department. He pushed for change in the Victorian committee system, which became part of the Education Act of 1910.

These committees would not be like earlier groups of local citizens. School committees now had seven members nominated by school parents. This change added personal investment and local knowledge.

School committees governed state schools. Advisory councils oversaw high schools and technical schools.

School councils

The Education (School Councils) Act of 1975 replaced school committees with new school councils. This law made school councils corporate bodies. They have common powers, duties, and functions. This change encourages greater community and parental involvement in school decisions.

What school councils do today

School councils:

For details on the current roles and functions of school councils, see the department’s Policy and Advisory Library.

Records and research

School committees and councils share governance of the school with the principal. Researchers can use meeting minutes to understand a school’s culture. They can see what matters to members and how values are encouraged.

The minutes can often include:

The earlier bodies, like patrons, local committees, and boards of advice, mainly reflected the views of prominent locals. This means their records may not fully represent the school’s culture. Yet, these bodies mark important stages in how school governance formed. Their records still provide valuable evidence of this evolution and can help researchers.

Where to find records

School committee and council records (1911 to current)

The school council must keep records of decisions made during meetings. They should also note any actions needed and those that have been completed. This includes agendas, reports, minutes and letters tabled at school council meetings. These are all permanent value records and will eventually transfer to the Public Record Office Victoria (PROV).

Boards of advice records (1873 to 1910)

PROV has letters and minutes from boards of advice. It also keeps special case files that organise correspondence on specific topics. See Vision and Realisation, vol. 1, Appendix D, for a list of boards.

Local committee records (1862 to 1872)

PROV holds related files, including special case files, that relate to local committees. It does not hold local committee records.

Patron-era records (1848 to 1862)

PROV does not appear to have minutes from boards of patrons. It does hold records from the National Schools Board and the Board of National Education, NSW. These records might contain information related to patrons.

Education & training

Updated 27 March 2026

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