Today is the last chance to vote in the school trustee elections.

Education Minister Trevor Mallard is reminding parents of schools where an election is being held that they still have time to vote.

"If people who have not yet voted get their votes to the school or the returning officer by mid-day today, their vote will still count," Trevor Mallard said.

"I urge all parents to take part in this process and so far it appears that many have.

"So far this year's school board of trustees election process has been a huge success.

"Not only did all schools get enough nominations to form a board, but early indications show that this election will have a much higher return than the previous one.

"The willingness of communities to take part in the election processs is a reflection of the power of self-managed schools.

“New Zealand is an international trailblazer in terms of community involvement in schools and it is pleasing that so many people have taken the importance of the role to heart. This is the fifth election since the system started in 1989, and this month has shown that the initial enthusiasm is still very strong," Trevor Mallard said.

Ends

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Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>