Northland College Alternative Constitution Consultation

Overview

The Minister of Education has granted approval for the Ministry of Education to consult regarding an amendment to the Northland College Alternative Constitution on her behalf.

Northland College (9) has had an Alternative Constitution since 7 May 2015.  The current School Board has requested an amendment to the current constitution. The board proposes that the Ministry of Education appointed positions are removed and are replaced with elected positions, as per Section 119 of the Education and Training Act (2020), and also wish to establish one dedicated position that will be appointed by Te Runanga o Ngāpuhi.

The proposed Alternative Constitution would include:

• 3 parent elected members,
• 1 Runanga/Iwi representative,
• Principal
• 1 staff representative,
• 1 student representative and
• up to 3 co-opted members to provide high level skills in selected areas of expertise.

Consultation will be conducted from 31/05/2023 to 14/06/2023. We are seeking your opinion through this survey as part of the consultation process.

FAQ’s

Does this change the process for voting on motions?

No. There is no change to voting protocols. Each member has 1 vote and where there is a tie, the presiding member has the casting vote.

Do I have to be a parent to seek election as a board member?

No. Board members are drawn from the general community, however voting during the board elections is limited to parents and caregivers of students enrolled at the school.

Is my submission confidential?

No. Submissions are official information

Submissions you make become official information. The content of submissions can be asked for under the Official Information Act 1982 (OIA). Under the OIA, we must make information available unless there is good reason for withholding it.

Tell us if you have any objections to the release of any information used in your submission, particularly which part(s) you believe should be withheld, along with the reason. Reasons might include that it is commercially sensitive, or it is personal information. We will take into consideration any objections when responding to OIA requests. However, any decision the Ministry of Education makes to withhold information can be reviewed by the Ombudsman, who may tell us to release it.

Can I discuss this proposal with someone from the board?

Yes. Please contact Northland College by calling 09 401 3200 during normal office hours to make an appointment or respond to the relevant question in the survey to provide your contact details.

Can I discuss this proposal with someone from the Ministry of Education?

Yes. Please contact the Lyndsay Whitehead Ministry of Education by calling 09 4368036 during normal office hours or respond to the relevant question in the survey to provide your contact details.