School councils play a key role in Victorian government schools.

The role of the school council is to: 

• assist in the efficient governance of the school 
• ensure that its decisions affecting students of the school are made having regard, as a primary consideration, to the best interests of the students 
• enhance the educational opportunities of the students of the school 
• ensure the school and the council comply with any requirements of the Act, the regulations, a Ministerial Order or a direction, guideline or policy issued under the Act. 

All school councils in Victoria operate under the Education and Training Reform Act 2006. Each school council is established by an Order of the Minister for Education, which specifies the council’s membership, size and configuration; its objectives, powers, functions and accountabilities; and the role of its executive officer who is the principal. 

The VSL is a unique school and our school council structure reflects that. There are 18 positions on the VSL School Council, comprising: 

• 6 parent members 
• 3 employee members 
• 2 community members 
• 7 nominee members: 
  • one representative of the Department of Education 
  • one representative of the Ethnic Communities Council of Victoria 
  • one representative of the Catholic Education Commission Victoria 
  • one representative of the Association of Independent Schools of Victoria 
  • one representative of a tertiary institution 
  • two persons engaged in work at and for the Victorian School of Languages for less than eight hours per week. 

Elected members (parent and employee category) are elected for a term of two years, with half coming up for nomination each calendar year. Elections for school council take place early in the school year, in time for the March School Council meeting and the Annual General Meeting. 

The VSL School Council meets at least 8 times during the year, usually on the third Wednesday of the month.