Why Parent Clubs?
Among the benefits of a Parent Club are:
- It can be a forum to discuss items of mutual interest and collective concern, and to share positive stories. This can be a very valuable source of constructive, formalised feedback for schools & your community.
- It can provide a welcoming, informal way for parents to get involved in their children’s schooling and support the school.
- It can help parents with support and information, e.g. guest speakers on issues relating to education and parenting.
- Parents can learn from each other, exchange ideas and feel welcomed and integrated into the school community.
Starting up a new Parent Club
If your school doesn’t have a Parent Club, you can start one!
All you need is a few like-minded parents who are willing to put in a little time to get it going.
See our Starting up a new Parent Club page for a comprehensive guide to getting a new club up and running.
Parents Victoria membership
Parents Victoria is the peak body for Parent Clubs in Victorian government schools. We’ve been supporting and representing the interests of Victorian parents, through their clubs, since 1925.
Membership of Parents Victoria is free for all Parent Clubs at Victorian government schools. We encourage all clubs to register a PV Contact and gain the benefits of membership, including voting rights at our Annual General Meeting.
See our Membership page for more information on how to join.
at your school.
Education Department support
The following paragraph is taken from the Education Department website:
“Parent clubs (and associations) promote the welfare of, and provide support to, the school and its community. Parents are key partners in their child’s learning. By interacting with the school and other parents, parent club members can use their skills and experience to work collaboratively with others in supporting the school and its students, and build a sense of community within the school.”
See the Policy and Advisory Library for more Education Department statements about the role and typical activities of a Parent Club.
Parent Club and School Council
Sometimes there is confusion between Parent Clubs and School Councils. The two are quite different, although they should work together.
See our Parent Clubs and School Councils page for an explanation of the differences.
Toolkit
Our online Toolkit is a comprehensive guide to running a club, including all the relevant Government regulations, building participation, maintaining your Committee, running meetings, finances and fundraising.
