Busy start for schools

Busy start for schools

Schools around the country will be coming back to an even busier couple of months than usual as they finalise their campaigns for the school trustee elections in March.

In the next three weeks, 2500 schools around New Zealand will be putting the finishing touches to their campaigns aimed at encouraging people to put their names forward to serve as school trustees.

National Election Project Manager Janet Kelly says the timetable is tight.

“While a lot of work and planning is already in place, these next three weeks are crucial to ensuring that each school has a range of informed candidates and that the parent community is geared up to vote.”

“We need informed people with a range of skills and experiences to become trustees in our 2,500 schools around the country.”

Janet Kelly says schools will be looking to the community for support in the elections.

“People from the wider community, including parents, can be nominated for election to a school board.”

Janet Kelly says standing in the elections is a practical way of influencing the quality of our children’s education.

“Trustees play a key role in working with principals, staff, students, parents and the community to lead their schools.

“Our boards need people who can ask the right questions and can make decisions that influence and support educational opportunities for every child in their school.

“They need to have a vision for their school and be able to carry out their vision.”

The school trustee elections are New Zealand’s biggest democratic event and this is the seventh election since the introduction of self-managing schools in 1989. The triennial call for school governance is about making a difference for our schools.

ENDS

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