Questions

The main function of a school board is to manage public schools in accordance with state and federal law.

The functions of the school board of a public school are:

• to establish strategic direction and priorities for the school.

• to monitor and review school performance and to report on it to the Director-General, parents of students at the school and staff.

• to develop, maintain and review curriculum for the school.

• to develop and review education policies at the school.

• to establish budgetary policies for the school and approve the school budget.

• to establish policies for the efficient and effective use of school assets and the management of financial risk.

• to develop relationships between the school and the community and between the school and community organisations.

• to make recommendations to the Director-General on issue affecting the school and to give effect to the Director-General’s directions.

• to encourage parent participation in their children’s learning; and

• to exercise any other function given to the board under this Act or any other
Territory law.

The construction of the world’s largest optical telescope has started in northern Chile, which is expected to begin operating in 2024. The Extremely Large Telescope (ELT) is being built by the European Southern Observatory (ESO) and will have a main mirror that is 39m in diameter. The telescope will be positioned on top of Cerro Armazones – a 3046-metre long mountain Chile. It will tackle a wide range of scientific challenges, including probing Earth-like exoplanets for signs of life, studying the nature of dark energy and dark matter, and observing the universe’s early stages to explore humans’ origins.