NSW public school parents have most say in selecting a principal

PUBLIC school parents have a greater say in choosing their principal than their Catholic or independent counterparts.

PUBLIC school parents have a greater say in choosing their principal than their Catholic or independent counterparts, with those in the most centralised system in the nation, NSW, having the most influence.

An evaluation of the first 900 schools to participate in a federal program to increase autonomy found parents who send their children to independent schools have the least participation in setting the selection criteria for or choosing their principal.

Nationally, parents at only 3.5 per cent of independent schools participate in choosing the principal, compared with 40 per cent in the public sector and about a quarter in the Catholic system.

The highest involvement was in NSW, where parents in almost three-quarters of government schools were involved in selecting the principal. In the Catholic sector in South Australia and Queensland, parents were involved in 50 per cent and 37 per cent of schools respectively.

The report's author, Robert Simons, said a school's engagement with its parents and community was a key factor in bolstering capacity and a priority in increasing the autonomy of principals and the school.

"One of the good things that has occurred across all jurisdictions is the extent to which parents and communities are being engaged," the Australian Council for Educational Research fellow said. "Research of the past 10 years says where parents support children's participation in school and at home with resources and assistance, that impacts very positively on kids' success at school."

The report looks at the first phase of the federal Labor government's empowering local schools initiative, which provides $64 million for skills and support to schools and principals to increase local governance, decisions on infrastructure, and managing the performance of the workforce. Under the program, 926 schools split between metropolitan and regional areas received payments of up to $50,000 to support them in establishing a decision-making process at a local level.

Education Minister Bill Shorten said the report showed positive progress in engaging parents in school decision-making and better responding to the needs of students and the school community. "This work has confirmed the value of trusting principals and school communities to chart their own future," he said.

"The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development has found that schools that enjoy greater local school authority in relation to resource allocation tend to show better student performance."

The report says early indicators of success among participating schools are greater engagement of parents and community; increasing educational and career opportunities for students disengaged from school; improving the achievement levels of students; and freeing teachers from administrative tasks to give them more time to teach.

Dr Simons said South Australian schools in particular were adopting innovative approaches under the program, with some government schools using social media to engage parents, and "de-privatising" how teachers construct lesson plans and timetables by posting them online.