Parents Urged to Exercise Voting Rights

Parents Urged to Exercise Voting Rights

Parents across New Zealand are urged to vote in the 2013 School Trustee Elections now underway with polls closing at noon on 30 May. This vote from the school community will influence who is leading their child’s school over the next three years.

Elaine Hines from the New Zealand School Trustees Association calls for parents to find out who the candidates are standing for election at their school and see what they can contribute to the board. She says, “Make the most of the opportunity of choosing from a range of candidates”.

“Trustees play a key role in working with the principal, staff, students and parents. The board is responsible for the strategic direction of the school and the educational opportunities of every child – your child”, says Ms Hines.

Not all schools will be going to a vote as some received the equivalent number of nominations to positions vacant. However, those schools with more nominations than positions vacant will go to a voting election.

“Having a voting election provides the opportunity for parents to elect a strong board for their school which consists of trustees with a range of skills. We need to achieve an ethnic and gender balance on our boards and the way to do that is to exercise your vote,” says Ms Hines.

She urges school parent communities across the country to use their vote wisely and says, “Parents need to be voting for candidates who can ask questions, work as a team, think creatively, or crunch numbers”.

“If parents, families and whānau all get involved and take an active part in their school election process, they can take ownership of electing the right people to make a positive difference for our children“, she says.

The 2013 School Trustee Elections are New Zealand’s biggest single democratic event with around 15,000 trustees required to make boards at over 2400 state and state integrated schools. This is the ninth triennial election since self managing schools were introduced in 1989.

For schools who received the correct number of nominations, trustees will take office on 23 May. Schools who received more nominations than they have positions for will go to election with voting closing at 12 noon 30 May. Results will be declared on 5 June and trustees will take office on 6 June.

Voting closes at noon 30 May 2013.

Key dates:

Voting closes Noon 30 May 2013

Results declared 5 June 2013

New board takes office 6 June 2013

ENDS

© Scoop Media