COMMUNICATION PROTOCOL POLICY

It is essential that staff members of the school communicate information in agreeance with established protocols so as to preserve the professionalism of the school, to protect the rights of individuals, to uphold our duty of care to students, and to comply with DE&T and legal requirements.

To ensure that the communication of information is carried out correctly and in a manner that complies with school, DE&T and legal requirements.

• Our school has a policy of open and cooperative communication.
• This practice however recognises that staff members have legal, departmental, local, professional and social obligations with regards to the communication of information.
• Action may be taken by individuals, the department or organisations against staff members who choose to communicate information improperly.
• We will provide a minimum of two written reports for students each year, two parent-teacher interviews per year, additional interviews upon agreement, and an annual report for the community.
• DE&T employees are free to make public comment on issues relating to education, but in doing so, must be wary not to make comments that can be construed as negative criticism of our school, School Council, our community, staff or community members.
• As a matter of professional courtesy, and as a requirement of Section 3.6 of the Teaching Services (Conduct of Duties) Order 1998 staff will communicate with the principal before making public comment or formal statement on educational issues.
• The Information Privacy Act and the Health Records Act 2001 require that schools protect the interests of individuals with regard to their personal information and respect the individual's right to control how their personal information is used, and for what purpose.
• The school will only collect consensual information that it requires about individuals, and will only communicate and disclose information for the purposes for which it was collected.
• Any person seeking information from the school that falls outside the school's previous practices must be directed to the Principal who may require that a formal written Freedom of Information request be made. The principal will inform School Council of any such requests.
• All such Freedom of Information requests will be referred to the Department of Education and Training's Freedom of Information Unit.
• Information sought by police, including interviews of students must be directed to the Principal.
• Requests from Department of Human Services personnel regarding students or families will be directed to the Principal.