SOUTH AUSTRALIAN ASSOCIATION OF STATE SCHOOL ORGANISATIONS
Supporting schools, governing councils and state education through training, advice and advocacy
Profile
SAASSO is the parent body for education in South Australia
SAASSO's Vision
Local Governance is a 'Global Phenomenon; liberating schools from bureaucratic shackles, in countries such as the USA, China, Japan, Sweden, Thailand, Great Britain and New Zealand.
The reasons for the success of Local Governance are clear - Parents and the local community:
- are more committed to their members than a central bureaucracy
- understand their problems better than a bureaucracy
- are more flexible and creative than large bureaucracies
- are cheaper than bureaucrats, leaving more dollars for actual services.
SAASSO's Mission
Local Governance was enshrined in South Australia's Education Act in 2000. Under the Act, Governing Councils have the authority, autonomy and resources to plan, staff and operate their schools. In practice, however, Governing Councils have limited and declining scope to make decisions to impact on the school: "The Governing Council is more a policy taker, than policy maker".
A decade on, Local Governance still struggles for true implementation in our state; a result of bureaucratic resistance and a lack of commitment by the State Government to resource real support for parents in their vital governance role. Too many Governing Councils encounter ongoing opposition as they volunteer to deliver good governance to our children's schools.
We will fail our children if we abandon Local Governance; the system best suited to overcome the challenges of 21st century education. We now need a genuine commitment to its implementation and its support by all members of the education community.