School ballot papers ‘misleading’

Press, Volume CXVI, Issue 34104, 17 March 1976, Page 2

School ballot papers ‘misleading’

Many candidates forll tomorrow’s secondary ‘ school hoard elections in! Ch l ist c h u 1 ch expressed) concern yesterday about the instructions to parents on ballot papers for the 11 State second-1 ary schools. ■The candidates have called' the instructions misleading. , and one candidate has said ithey are just one of a num-1 her of irritating matters! which seem designed to! make parents’ representation! on school boards as difficult! as possible. Mr A. D. Mcßobie, a lec-' ■turer in social sciences all •he primary division of the; Christchurch Teachers' Col-; lege and a candidate r or the! Mairehau High School board! .of governors, said yesterday) that he had sought a legal! opinion on the meaning and; intent of the directions on •he ballot papers. They state: “The number; of vacancies is ‘four, of! which at least one cannot be 1 fided by a man. The vote twill therefor? be informal 'unless the names of at least

| four men and two women) !are crossed out.” i, ; Mr Mcßobie said that), (since the composition of|‘ i parents’ representation on!' I She hoards of governors ofp (Christchurch’s secondary) l (schools must include ar least I) one woman in the total of)tour representatives, the 1 , I maximum number of candi-i (dates for whom an elector’, (might vote was four, and! I) this must include one or .more women. “This does not, however, preclude electors from cashing their vote for fewer 1 >lthan the number of vacancies being contested. In fact, I any number of candidates up ito four may be supported, • provided only that if four (candidates are supported, 1 (one at least must be a . (woman." Mr Mcßobie said. ’ ! “In short, the legal opinlion is that electors are . (advised to cast their votes ! (for any number of candi- ( 1 dates up to four, and if four ' are supported, to be sure that , I one is a woman ." Mr Mcßobie said that parents who wished to stand' for secondary school boards)' had been frustrated in theiri* efforts in manv cases by ir-il ritating matters. " b

“For example, when I ap-. proached ‘he local school for a nomination form I was, told that none were avail-) able at the school, and that 1 1 should try the secretary of. |the Christchurch Secondary) (Schools’ Council. I “Further, while an (addressed envelope was in-; 'eluded to facilitate the re-i I turn of the ballot paper, the ! paper itself states that, ‘No! paper sent through the postl will be accepted unless full postage has been paid.'. While it may be argued that: parents who are genuinely, interested in the future wel-i fare of their children’s) school would not object to: paying such postage, it is' .nonetheless another hurdle placed before the electors," Mr Mcßobie said. Every effort should be made to encourage electors! to exercise their democratic right, even to the extent of providing a replv-paid envelope.

"Surely this is not too i much to ask the Christi’church Secondary Schools’ •|Council under whose aus- . pices the triennial elections, 'are held,” said Mr Mcßobie. j