Catholic Schools Advisory Council

Catholic School Advisory Councils are established in every school in accordance with Regulation 612 under the Education Act. The primary purpose of the Catholic School Advisory Council is, through the active participation of parents, to improve student achievement and enhance the accountability of the education system to parents. A school council's primary means of achieving its purpose is by making recommendations in accordance with the regulation to the principal of the school and the Board.

The single best way for a Catholic School Advisory Council to accomplish its purpose of improving student learning is to make as its primary focus the involvement of as many parents as possible in the education of their own children. This is important as Catholic education has always acknowledged the family as having the primary responsibility in the nurture and education of children. The second reason is that all of the research clearly says that family/parent involvement in the education of their children is one of the most powerful factors in bettering student achievement. Therefore, it is important that our Catholic school councils work at enabling parent involvement.

Catholic School Advisory Councils promote parent involvement through a variety of means such as: regular meetings, volunteering, holding family events (e.g., barbecues), newsletters, parent nights, in-service session or workshops, developing programs on parenting or tutoring, identifying resources and community support for the school, and participating in and planning liturgical celebrations.

Successful Catholic School Advisory Councils create a sense of community education by assisting all of the community to realize that it has a responsibility for the education of children. The learning environment or culture of Catholic education is ultimately the Christian community created within the school and the medium through which the word of God is addressed to students, staff and parents.

For more information about Catholic School Advisory Councils, please refer to the Board policy or contact the principal of the school in your community.