Education Board election

Press, Volume CXIV, Issue 33580, 8 July 1974, Page 12

Education Board election

Sir, —Seven of the eight Canterbury Education Board wards have returned their members unopposed — the eighth is having an election, as its member is retiring. Sure there should be more lay participation in educational administration (E.D.C. report), but with such apathy, when? I wonder how many parents even knew nominations were- being called for their Board through school committees. The situation where too few women and too many elderly men are returned unopposed to an imI portant public body is insidious, and an indictment ■ on the educational authorities, who did nothing to publicise this election and i who seem to work hard to maintain a centralised status quo.—Yours, etc.. TEACHER. July 2, 1974. (Mr D. Wilson, general manager of the Canterbury ■ Education Board, replies as I follows: “The education board responsible for these (elections gives wide publicity throughout its district in the daily newspapers published in Christchurch. Timaru. Greymouth and Hokitika, concerning the calling of nominations for the various wards. In addition to this, school committees are informed by circular approximately two weeks before the notices appear in the newspapers. Every opportunity is given to those who wish to serve the community in this way and I can assure your correspondent that she is not correct with her facts when she states that the educational authorities seem to work hard to maintain a i centralised status-quo."j