Whither school councils?

Are school councils making decisions in the significant areas of staffing, curriculum, and allocation of resources? What are the strains and tensions around councils? Can the relationship of parent and teacher councillors be characterised as a "partnership"? How are decisions made in councils? What is the influence of the school principal? Are councillors representatives of their constituencies? Why do people wish to be councillors? Are councils likely to have more power and responsibility in the future?

These are some of the questions discussed in this paper reporting on a study of councils in seven schools, conducted by means of participant observation, interviews and questionnaire.