MOCK BALLOTS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 80, Issue 254, 27 October 1938, Page 12

MOCK BALLOTS

POLITICS IN SCHOOL DISCUSSION BY BOARD NAPIER, Oct. 25. The holding of mock elections in schools during the period of the general election campaign \va.: discussed at a meeting of the Hawke’s Bay Education Board. One member said that the secrecy of the ballot was destroyed as the attitude of the children reflected the political leanings of their parents. The subject was raised by Mr. C. H. Critchley, who said that the holding of mock elections at schools on the eve of the election had introduced an undesirable note into the schools. It had created a considerable amount of feeling, as it involved the names of candidates standing at the elections. Mr. Critchley said that there was a certain amount of educational value in holding mock elections, but he considered they should not be held in an election year and that fictitious names should be used. Mr. J. S. Wauchop said that children should be taught the responsibility of citizenship as early as possible. A mock ballot might be open to abuse, but an endeavour had been made to correlate events with the teaching in schools. “It would be a retrograde step to stop these elections, and I do not think that the secrecy of the ballot-box is in any way violated and the vote of the family revealed,” declared Mr. Wauchop. The opinion that the 'elections” did not introduce bad feeling, but, if conducted along sound lines, enabled the “voters” to make up their own minds, was expressed by Mr. W. Cuthbertson. “I don’t know whether influence came from the home or the school,” said Mr. T. Roe, “but one day before the election a little boy came along the street past my gate. I thought he was singing, but, as he got nearer, I heard him saying, ‘Boo National,’ ‘Boo National.’ ” Mr. C. Lassen told the meeting that, while he was taking people to vote on election day, groups of Hastings school-children had stood on the corners and booed him as he went by.

“Politics should be kept out of school.” declared the chairman, Mr. G. A. Maddison. “I know the teachers who have taken up very biassed attitudes. I can cite a case of the children of one family who were not allowed to play with certain other children, purely arising out of elections.”