School heads refute claims

Press, 1 September 1989, Page 3

School heads refute claims

By

MARITA VANDENBERG

Christchurch Boys’ High School authorities reject claims that the school’s students were not informed about student board of trustee election procedures. In a joint statement, the principal, Mr Zane Kidd, and the chairman of the board of trustees, Mrs Margaret Sheard, said all of New Zealand knew of details of the election via daily newspaper, community newspapers, television, radio and Government leaflets. “There is no way the school could have evaded its statutory responsibilities under the School Trustees Act,” they said. “Criticism should be levelled at the legislation, not the school.” Mr Kidd and Mrs Sheard were responding to a story in “The Press” in which some students and staff said the school had stymied the election by not providing adequate notification. Mr Kidd and Mrs

Sheard said information was readily ( available within the school and the present istudept representative went! to the school office and got it. “Obviously the other students did pot get themselves organised in time to meet the election deadlines.” They said a formal complaint made by a student about the election was too late under the terms of the School Trustees Act, but it was still investigated by the Education Department’s legal office. The school’s election procedure was found to be correct. The investigating officer informed the principal on June 2 that the student would be advised of the outcome. Mr Kidd said he informed interested students, both last year and this year, that they must get election details from the returning officer as the election was under his control and the principal was not the returning officer.