A: GENERAL

 

PREMISE 3A

 

P&C Federation and its affiliates will use all available and appropriate means to protect and advance the interests of public education in New South Wales. Means to this end include:

 

(a)   assisting in the formation and maintenance of Parents and Citizens' Associations in all government schools in New South Wales and seeking to have all such associations affiliated with P&C Federation;

 

(b)   ensuring that P&C Federation is always responsive to the needs and wishes of its affiliates; and

 

(c)    fostering and supporting a system of Regional and district councils with the express aim of achieving a complete state-wide coverage by such Councils.

 

POLICY

 

3.1  Annual Conference will be held outside the Sydney metropolitan area at least once every four years.

 

3.2  P&C Federation, Regional and district councils and individual P&C associations have a right and responsibility to make representations to the DET at all levels (i.e. central Executive, Region, School Education Areas (SEA), and local school), to the Ministry of Education and Training, and to Members of Parliament regarding any educational issues that concern them.

 

3.3  P&C Federation, through its Executive Officer, Office-Bearers and Councillors should maintain a high public profile through regular media releases, particularly when contentious issues arise. Regional Councils, District Councils and local P&C associations should be encouraged to maintain a high profile for P&C Federation through continuing contact with their local media to ensure that their local communities are informed of education issues and of the P&C movement's response to them.

 

3.4  Individual Councillors are encouraged to participate in activities to advance the cause of public education. A person acting in public as a Councillor must ensure that any activity is consistent with P&C Federation policy.

 

3.5  Speakers at P&C Federation's Annual Conference and Council, when contentious issues are being considered, are encouraged to declare any vested or pecuniary interest in the possible outcomes.

 

3.6  Regional Councillors, in co-operation with P&C Federation, should ensure that a conference or other major meeting is held in each Region annually or biennially.

 

3.7  No form of how-to-vote card should be used at Annual Conference or for any other P&C Federation, Regional Council, district council or local P&C Association election.

 

3.8  P&C Federation Council should encourage P&C associations, district councils, regional councils or P&C Federation itself to arrange visits by committed and knowledgeable parents to schools that are in need of advice or assistance.

 

3.9  A P&C Day should be initiated in the school calendar for the promotion of the P&C movement and to increase public knowledge of the work P&C Federation does for local communities and public schools throughout New South Wales.

 

3.10    Officers of P&C associations, Councils or P&C Federation should be reimbursed for reasonable expenses from association, Council or P&C Federation funds, as appropriate.

3.11    Secondary school P&C associations should give consideration to initiatives that will encourage senior student interest in P&C activities.

 

3.12    There shall be a single affiliation fee for each class of school which incorporates the cost of copies of the Handbook, Parent and Citizen and access to P&C Federation advice and services. Public liability and other insurance shall also be made available through P&C Federation, with basic premiums varying according to the class of school.

 

3.13    When a new school site is selected and planning for a new school begins, the Department of Education and Training should notify P&C Federation so that every assistance can be given to parents in the area in forming a P&C Association. Such new associations should be encouraged to be active in the planning and building stages prior to the opening of new schools. Regional and district councils are encouraged to take the initiative to assist parents to form new associations.

 

3.14    P&C Federation supports the flying of the United Nations flag at school ceremonies.

 

B: REPRESENTATION

 

PREMISE 3B

 

Participation of parents, teachers and students at all levels of education decision-making through their properly chosen representatives is essential for the development of sound educational policies and programs. Furthermore, representation is a means of allowing a share in the decision-making for larger numbers of people than can easily participate directly. P&C Federation and its representatives share the responsibility of ensuring representative decision-making for the benefit of students.

 

POLICY

 

3.15    In order for representation to be effective, the following conditions must be met:

 

(a)    the representatives must be chosen by those they represent;

 

(b)   councillors be required to declare any potential conflict of interest (pecuniary or non-pecuniary) when nominating for a representational role, speaking on behalf of P&C Federation or performing a representational role, in line with protocols adopted in other organizations, in order to boost professionalism of the P&C Federation, and in order to remove any potential perceptions that Councillor membership of other organizations may unduly influence policies, processes or representation of the Federation of Parents and Citizens Associations of NSW and that this issue be referred to Council and report back to Conference. (2004)

 

(c)    the views put forward by the representatives must be consistent with the agreed policies of the people they represent;

 

(d)   those who are represented must be kept informed of decisions being taken, reasons for them and major items of discussion;

 

(e)    authorities responsible for committees should consult with the representatives or representative bodies involved when choosing the most appropriate measures to ensure effective representation; and

 

(f)     measures for facilitating effective representation include:

 

                              (i)      reimbursement of travel and other actual costs to representatives;

 

                            (ii)      arrangement of childcare for representatives;

 

                         (iii)    scheduling meetings and activities to recognise employment, childcare and other commitments of representatives;

 

                          (iv)      community employer support for representative activities;

 

                            (v)      compensating representatives for actual loss of earnings as a result of representative activities; and

 

                          (vi)      payment of fees for representatives.

 

3.16    P&C Federation, Councils or associations (as appropriate) should select representatives and support them by provision of:

 

(a)    information;

 

(b)   policies and a role in policy formation;

 

(c)    opportunities to discuss problems; and

 

(d)   comments on reports, discussion papers, drafts and other documents.

 

3.17    Representatives, for their part, should:

 

(a)    attend the appropriate meetings regularly and contribute to discussion and deliberation in line with P&C Federation policy;

 

(b)   report regularly to the nominating/electing body;

 

(c)    highlight issues of concern;

 

(d)   contribute as appropriate to the development of P&C policy;

 

(e)    assist in training other representatives of P&C Federation and affiliates; and

 

(f)     consult the nominating/electing body and its officers whenever there is no clear policy direction.

 

3.18    P&C Federation accepts the need for its representatives on outside committees and other bodies to refrain from comment on issues or information agreed by those committees or bodies to be confidential or embargoed. This obligation does not affect the duty of P&C Federation representatives to consult with P&C Federation officers [see Policy Item 3.16 (f)], although wider consultation may not be possible under such circumstances.

 

C: JOURNAL

 

PREMISE 3C

 

P&C Federation publishes a regular journal to assist dissemination of information to affiliates and the community.

 

POLICY

 

3.19    The official organ of the P&C Federation shall be a journal titled Parent and Citizen which shall be published on a regular basis as determined by Council to:

 

(a)    publicise P&C Federation policy and promote action towards the achievement of its goals;

 

(b)   publish informative and authoritative reports on public education, subjecting all education policy and action to a critical examination;

 

(c)    report news of P&C activities at all levels;

 

(d)   report on topical matters affecting schools and public education generally;

 

(e)    publish contributed articles, including those containing views not in accord with P&C Federation policy, provided that such articles conform to the ethical and journalistic standards of Parent and Citizen and provided that their origin is designated.

 

3.20    Preparation and publication of the journal shall be the responsibility of the Publicity and Publications Committee, working in conjunction with any Editor elected or appointed by Council. The President or his or her deputy shall be responsible to Council for the suitability of material published: any contributed material rejected by him or her shall be referred to Executive.

 

3.21    The cost of the journal shall be the responsibility of P&C Federation and, as far as possible, shall be met by advertising and subscriptions revenue. The business affairs of the journal shall be the responsibility of Council.

 

3.22    The circulation of the journal shall be increased as P&C Federation's financial circumstances permit, taking into account the results of any surveys of readership or of the journal's effectiveness in communicating P&C Federation's policy and concerns.

 

3.23    Associations, Regional and district councils and P&C Federation Councillors should do their utmost to further the development of the journal by:

(a)    encouraging its circulation, particularly among office-bearers and members, but also in the wider community;

 

(b)   submitting articles, news items and illustrative material for inclusion in the journal; and

 

(c)    assisting in obtaining subscriptions and advertising revenue.

 

 

D: WEBSITE

 

PREMISE 3D

 

P&C Federation publishes and regularly updates a website to assist dissemination of information to affiliates and the wider community.

 

POLICY

3.24     The Federation shall publish and maintain a web site to:

   (a)        publicise P&C Federation policy and promote action towards the achievement of its goals;

(b)        publish informative and authoritative reports on public education, subjecting all education policy and action to a critical examination;

(c)        report news of P&C activities at all levels;

(d)        report on topical matters affecting schools and public education generally;

(e)        publish material that reflects the Federation’s policy and ensuring that the material conforms to the ethical and journalistic standards as applies to the Parent and Citizen and ensuring that its origin is acknowledged.

 

3.25          Preparation of the web site will be the responsibility of the Publicity and Publications Committee, working in conjunction with any editor elected or appointed by Council. The President or deputy shall be responsible to Council for the suitability of material published; and any contributed material rejected by them shall be referred to Executive.

 

3.26          Associations, Regional and District Councils and P&C Federation Councillors should do their utmost to further the development of the web site by advertising and promoting the use of the web site.

 

 

E: GOODS AND SERVICES

 

PREMISE 3E

 

Affiliates and the schools they represent should be able to purchase high quality school requisites at competitive prices.

 

POLICY

 

3.27 Consideration should be given to P&C Federation assisting affiliates to obtain goods and services at competitive prices by:

 

(a)    establishing some form of co-operative buying scheme for school canteen supplies;

 

(b)   examining the possibility of obtaining goods at lower prices by buying on a commission basis; and

 

(c)    taking all necessary action to ensure that affiliates can buy school requisites of the highest quality at the most competitive prices.

 

Action Items

 

1.      That P&C Federation calls on the Department of Education and Training to modify the new school establishment protocol. When a new school is to be formed, an interim P&C should be established at the initial discussion phase. This should ensure that elected representatives from the Regional or sub Regional P&C’s; and feeder P&C’s; and local communities can participate fully in the collaborative decision making process. (Clear lines of communication and accountability for information dissemination and consultation should be explicitly detailed to Principals, School Education Areas and P&C Presidents). (2004)

 

2.      That P&C Federation modify the guidelines for the establishment of a new P&C to include a step by step plan for the process of developing such a body. The plan should include points to consider regarding the timing of the establishment of the P&C, lines of authority and handling of monies. (2004) 

 

3.      That P&C Federation undertake to develop a management model similar to a District Council with a model constitution for Collegiate College groups which will provide an umbrella entity from which individual campus P&C Associations can call upon to act in the interests of the College community. (2004)

 

4.      That P&C Federation negotiates with its insurer to provide insurance coverage for the Collegiate College group and its sub-committees, so that insurance is in the name of the group and coverage is not reliant on the payment of insurance by any of the individual campus P&C’s that it represents. Such insurance should be by a similar means that currently exists for District Councils. (2004)