There is only so much money to go around. We get an attendance fee, which is nominal. If the Government had to pay people to do the same job it would cost them a fortune. Although the effect to which parents can have a real say in our children's education outweighs this for me. Wairarapa MP and Minister of Education Wyatt Creech says when he took on the Minister' s job he saw first-hand the difference a strong board can make to a school.
School trustees make the difference on setting the school in the right direction.
If they do their job well they are pivotal. I would encourage as many people as possible, from as diverse backgrounds as possible, to put their hand up and stand as a trustee. What it takes to be a school trustee THE New Zealand School Trustees Association is responsible for seeing the board elections run smoothly and is there to offer advice to both schools and those seeking election. The association has put out a brochure outlining the role the board plays and what directors are expected to do. Boards have the responsibility of overseeing all aspects of managing schools and if people elected to them retain close ties with the community they will have the best interests of the community at heart.