Welcome Message from President of the NSW Parents’ Council
The NSW Parents’ Council is the peak representative body for parents and carers of children in NSW independent schools. We are a not for profit organisation, providing leadership, advocacy and empowerment for parents in our community since 1962.
To ensure the best educational outcomes for our children, we advocate, on a strictly non-partisan basis, for improved education policies and curriculums for families in independent schools.
We work in close collaboration with National & State Education Ministers, NESA, AIS NSW, Department of Education, school headmaster & teacher associations, public & catholic parent representative bodies, and other key education stakeholders.
Parent committees and volunteers, are a vital cornerstone in our schools, responsible for running fundraising programs and building strong school communities. We are proud to have provided recognition and support to the thousands of hard working parent volunteers, and their parent associations, in NSW independent schools for over 50 years.
As a practising educational psychologist and school counsellor, I see first hand the increasing impact of mental health issues and tension in the home from COVID-19 restrictions, and overuse of digital devices on our children. Mental health is the number one concern of parents of school-aged children, and the NSW Parents’ Council are working on new tools and resources to assist parents in both these areas.
A recent national survey indicated that parents in independent schools had the highest satisfaction rating (88%+)* with the education their children were receiving, compared to other sectors. We will continue our work together with parents, schools and key education stakeholders, to ensure parent satisfaction levels remain high in our community during these challenging times.
Dr Rose Cantali
President, NSW Parents' Council
B.A.(Sp.Ed), Dip.Teach. M.Ed. PhD
FAPS, FMCEDP, FMCCP.AssMCCLIN
*Based on 3,860 respondents to the Australia Talks National Survey, fielded between July 20-29, 2019
To ensure the best educational outcomes for our children, we advocate, on a strictly non-partisan basis, for improved education policies and curriculums for families in independent schools.
We work in close collaboration with National & State Education Ministers, NESA, AIS NSW, Department of Education, school headmaster & teacher associations, public & catholic parent representative bodies, and other key education stakeholders.
Parent committees and volunteers, are a vital cornerstone in our schools, responsible for running fundraising programs and building strong school communities. We are proud to have provided recognition and support to the thousands of hard working parent volunteers, and their parent associations, in NSW independent schools for over 50 years.
- Drought & Bushfire Relief: We have successfully worked with parent groups across NSW independent schools to initiate fundraisers to help provide financial aid and support to those families in our community affected by drought and bushfires.
- Support for Regional & Rural Schools: We have provided membership support to many smaller schools in regional and rural areas.
- Not for Profit Guidelines for NSW Independent Schools: With the launch of these new guidelines, we continue to support parents associations with governance and compliance matters.
- COVID-19 Response: Continue to work with parent leaders to understand key parent concerns, and lobby government and education agencies for these issues to be addressed.
- Education Policy: We continue to advocate and lobby on behalf of our parent community to NSW & Federal Government agencies on NAPLAN, NSW Curriculum, HSC and COVID-19.
As a practising educational psychologist and school counsellor, I see first hand the increasing impact of mental health issues and tension in the home from COVID-19 restrictions, and overuse of digital devices on our children. Mental health is the number one concern of parents of school-aged children, and the NSW Parents’ Council are working on new tools and resources to assist parents in both these areas.
A recent national survey indicated that parents in independent schools had the highest satisfaction rating (88%+)* with the education their children were receiving, compared to other sectors. We will continue our work together with parents, schools and key education stakeholders, to ensure parent satisfaction levels remain high in our community during these challenging times.
Dr Rose Cantali
President, NSW Parents' Council
B.A.(Sp.Ed), Dip.Teach. M.Ed. PhD
FAPS, FMCEDP, FMCCP.AssMCCLIN
*Based on 3,860 respondents to the Australia Talks National Survey, fielded between July 20-29, 2019