Appendix A:
A.1
Consultation
Introduction
The Victorian Competition and Efficiency Commission received the terms of reference
to undertake an inquiry into school devolution and accountability on 17 September 2012.
The Commission published an issues paper in October 2012, which outlined:

the scope of the inquiry

how to make a submission

the Commission’s consultation process

the inquiry timetable.
The issues paper invited participants to register an interest in the inquiry and to make
submissions. The Commission received 39 registrations of interest and 12 written
submissions before the release of the draft report. A further 22 submissions were
received following the release of the draft report (section A.2).
The Commission consulted widely (including workshops, roundtables, meetings, visits
and telephone conversations) with Commonwealth and State government
departments and agencies, schools, academics, unions, associations, consultants and
individuals (section A.4). The Commission also engaged with inquiry participants
through Facebook and Twitter.
The Commission thanks those people and organisations that participated in its
consultation process and made a submission to the inquiry. The Commission
appreciates the quality of the submissions, reflecting the thought and effort which has
been put into their preparation.
A.2
Submissions and social media
All submissions that are public documents can be viewed on the Commission’s website
(table A.1). In addition, the Commission had access to the more than 100 submissions
made to the Department of Education and Early Childhood Development in response
to its New Directions for School Leadership and the Teaching Profession discussion
paper.
The Commission also kept stakeholders up to date and had regard to views expressed
through social media. The Commission’s Twitter handle ‘@vcec_victoria’ had over 650
followers, a dedicated ‘@schoolinquiry’ Twitter handle over 130 followers, and the
‘VCEC School Inquiry’ Facebook page 45 likes. Social media complemented other
communication channels by allowing the Commission to: reach a broader audience;
engage stakeholders; and conduct more timely communications. For example, a post
mentioning the Commission’s school inquiry on the Today Show’s Facebook page
posed a question about whether teachers should be held more accountable and
elicited over 100 comments and over 200 likes.
APPENDIX A: CONSULTATION
263
Submissions received
No.
Participant
No.
Participant
1
Career Education Association of
Victoria
2
Melbourne Graduate School of
Education
3
Association of Heads of
Independent Schools of Australia
4
Dr T F Hawkes
5
Victorian Equal Opportunity and
Human Rights Commission (1)
6
Parents Victoria
7
Victorian Association of State
Secondary Principals (1)
8
Australian Education Union –
Victorian Branch (1)
9
Victorian Principals Association (1)
10
Victorian Registration and
Qualifications Authority
11
Victorian Employers' Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
12
Educational Transformations Pty Ltd
DR13 Mentone Girls’ Secondary College
DR14 Prof John Hattie
DR15 Nancy Sandilands
DR16
DR18 VET Development Centre
DR19 Mount Alexander College
DR20 Victorian Principals Association(2)
DR21 Annette Gayfer
DR22
Australian Institute for School
Governance
Williamstown Primary School
Council
DR23 Bourchier Street Primary School
DR24 Berwick Chase Primary School
DR25
Victorian Equal Opportunity and
Human Rights Commission (2)
DR26 Victoria University
DR27
Association of School Councils in
Victoria
DR28 Australian Principals Federation
DR29 Thornbury Primary School Council
DR30 Kingsbury Primary School Council
DR31
Victorian Association of State
Secondary Principals (2)
DR32 Victorian Auditor-General’s Office
DR33
Australian Education Union –
Victorian Branch (2)
DR34 Country Education Project
DR35 Altona Green Primary School
A.3
Stakeholder consultations
Before and after the draft report, the Commission embarked on an extensive program
of meetings and workshops, and met with representatives from 70 individual
organisations, of whom 38 were school principals (table A.2). This included a regional
visit, organised by the Country Education Project, to three separate school clusters,
attended by principals and/or school councillors from a total of 11 schools. A further
60 school principals attended workshops or meetings, including:

five meetings/workshops with the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals

four meetings/workshops with the Victorian Principals Association

one board meeting with the Association of School Councils in Victoria

two meetings with DEECD’s governance review reference group.
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MAKING THE GRADE: AUTONOMY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN VICTORIAN SCHOOLS
Consultation participants
Organisation or individual
Organisation or individual
Appin Park Primary School
Australia and New Zealand School of
Government
Australian Council for Educational
Research
Australian Education Union – Victorian
Branch
Australian Principals Federation
Bastow Institute of Educational
Leadership
Belle Vue Park Primary School
Boston Consulting Group
Catholic Education Office Melbourne
Chandler Park Primary School
Country Education Project
Dandenong North Primary School
Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development
Department of Education, Employment
and Workplace Relations
Department of Treasury and Finance
Educational Transformations
Edi Upper Primary School
Emerson School
Grattan Institute
Greta Valley Primary School
Hume Central Secondary College
Independent Education Union Victoria
Tasmania
Independent Schools Victoria
Jacqui Louw
John Fawkner Secondary College
Keilor Heights Primary School
Keilor Views Primary School
Merit Protection Board
Merri Creek Primary School
Mill Park Heights Primary School
Mohyu Primary School
Myrrhee Primary School
Nathalia Secondary College
North Geelong Secondary College
Northern Bay P-12 School
Parents Victoria
Professor John Hattie, Melbourne
Graduate School of Education
Professor Peter Dawkins, Victoria
University
Principals' Association of Specialist
Schools, Victoria
Ringwood Secondary College
St Francis School Nathalia
St Kilda Park Primary School
St Mary of the Angels Secondary College
Victorian Auditor-General’s Office
Victorian Council of School Organisations
Victorian Curriculum and Assessment
Authority
Victorian Employers’ Chamber of
Commerce and Industry
Victorian Principals Association
Victorian Registration and Qualifications
Authority
Wanganui Park Secondary College
Wangaratta Primary School
Wangaratta West Primary School
Warringa Park School
Wyndham Central Secondary College
Victorian Association of State Secondary
Principals
Western Australian Department of
Education
Whitfield Primary School
APPENDIX A: CONSULTATION
265
A.4
Stakeholder workshops and roundtables
Before releasing its draft report, the Commission held two workshops with government
school principals — one with secondary school principals on 19 February 2013,
organised through the Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals (table A.3),
the other with primary school principals on 21 February 2013, organised through the
Victorian Principals Association (table A.4).
Secondary school principals workshop
Participant
School
Frank Sal
Victorian Association of State Secondary Principals
Mary Cannon
Canterbury Girls Secondary College
Judy Crowe
Melbourne Girls College
Gus Napoli
John Falkner Secondary College
John Stone
Princes Hill Secondary College
Aiden Ryan
Yarra Hills Secondary College
Primary school principals workshop
Participant
School
Ian Sloane
Mitcham Primary School
Jack Fisher
Oakleigh Primary School
Judith Park
Bourchier Street Primary School
Wendy Caple
Inverloch Primary School
Charles Branciforte
Keilor Views Primary School
Anne-Maree Kliman
St Albans East Primary School
Sharon Saitlik
Mont Albert Primary School
Gabrielle Leigh
Victorian Principals Association
Cheryle Osborne
Aspendale Gardens Primary School
Glenn Butler
Ormond Primary School
Following the release of the draft report, the Commission held a workshop on 12 June
2013, organised through the Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership, to discuss its
draft recommendations with several government school principals (table A.5).
School principals workshop, Bastow
Participant
School
Tim Delany
Newborough Primary School
Andrea Duxson
Williamstown Primary School
Simone Eirth
Brighton Beach Primary School
Ian Watkins
Highvale Secondary College
Also following the release of the draft report, the Commission held two roundtable
meetings. The first, on Accountability of Principals (table A.6), was held on 18 June 2013
and focused on the key roles of principals, how the role can be more focused and
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MAKING THE GRADE: AUTONOMY AND ACCOUNTABILITY IN VICTORIAN SCHOOLS
de-cluttered, principal accountability, and the principal’s role in improving student
outcomes.
Accountability of principals roundtable
Participant
Organisation
Bruce Armstrong
Director, Bastow Institute of Educational Leadership
Dianne Bassett
Principal, Hume Valley School
Chris Cotching
President, Australian Principals Federation
Ben Jensen
School Education Program Director, Grattan Institute
Gabrielle Leigh
President, Victorian Principals Association
Kevin McKay
Principal, Dandenong North Primary School
John Mooney
Principal, Emerson School
Melanie Saba
Chief Executive, Victorian Institute of Teaching
Frank Sal
President, Victorian Association of State Secondary
Principals
Arthur Townsend
Executive Director, Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
The second roundtable, on School Governance (table A.7), was held on 21 June 2013
and examined, among other issues, the merits of multi-school boards as a
complementary or alternative governance framework.
School governance roundtable
Participant
Organisation
Gabrielle Leigh
President, Victorian Principals Association
Judith Crowe
Deputy President, Victorian Association of State
Secondary Principals
Chris Cotching
President, Australian Principals Federation
Michael Phillips
Principal, Ringwood Secondary College
Phil Brown
Executive Officer, Country Education Project
Dr Mary Cannon
Principal, Canterbury Girls’ Secondary College
Nicholas Abbey
President, Victorian Council of School Organisations
Graeme Lane
Chief Executive Officer, Association of School
Councils in Victoria
Louise Collett
Manager, Department of Education and Early
Childhood Development
John Sullivan
Executive Director, Department of Education and
Early Childhood Development
Susan O’Leary
Executive Member, Parents Victoria
APPENDIX A: CONSULTATION
267