School Councils
School councils were established in 1995, to increase parent and community involvement in the education of children in Alberta. Public schools, including charter schools, are required to attempt to establish school councils.
Each school council must include the following members:
- school principal
- teacher(s)
- parents of students enrolled in the school
- student(s) (high schools only)
Parents must form the majority of members. Individual school councils may also decide to include as members one or more persons who are not parents of students enrolled in the school and/or one or more persons who are parents of children enrolled in an Early Childhood Services program at the school.
The School Councils Regulation (113/2007) has been revised to provide more clarity and flexibility for establishing school councils to accommodate local circumstances. The revision more accurately reflects what happens in existing school councils and identifies opportunities for involving parents in meaningful activities that relate to school. In addition, a new section (s.13) of the School Councils Regulation identifies the responsibilities of school boards in relation to school councils. The School Councils Regulation is available at http://www.qp.gov.ab.ca/documents/Regs/2007_113.cfm.
Through school councils, Albertans have the opportunity to advise the principal and the school board respecting any matter relating to the school. For more information, visit the Alberta Home and School Councils' Association.
Alberta School Council Resource Manual (revised 2007)
The Alberta School Council Resource Manual provides information on the operation of school councils and on key topics of importance to school councils and other education stakeholders. This manual reflects the revisions to the School Councils Regulation (113/2007).
School Council Effectiveness Study, 2004
The study was conducted in Spring 2004 as part of implementing Recommendation 10 of the School Council Review. The report, Alberta School Council Effectiveness: Summary of Findings of the Provincial Consultation, contains information on the effectiveness of school councils in Alberta, recommendations to improve school council effectiveness, and effective strategies used by the school councils that were involved in the study. The report contains information of interest to school councils, school and jurisdiction administrators, school boards, Alberta Education and education associations in their work to improve the effectiveness of school councils.
