Kia ora koutou,

Greetings to you all. Soon, secondary school students across New Zealand have the opportunity of standing for election and voting in the September Student Representative elections. Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern’s foray into politics began with a belief that girls should be able to wear pants. In a recently-rediscovered video clip from 2010, she said “I ran for the school Board of Trustees because I thought girls should be able to wear pants as their school uniform”.

Standing for election or voting for their student representative is often the first real experience young people have of participating in a democratic process. Student representatives have equal standing, voice, accountabilities and voting rights on the board. We find real value in being able to share their knowledge around the board table and they bring different points of view and experiences, which influences better outcomes for the whole school community.

The idea of being a young person on a school board might seem daunting, but student representatives get plenty of help and support to learn about and fulfill their role. The New Zealand School Trustees Association (NZSTA) provides training and learning opportunities, guidance and resources. As well as having a voice on how Ko Taku Reo is governed, being a student representative provides valuable, real-world knowledge and experience for students. I encourage any student who is interested in joining the Board for the next 12 months to look out for the nomination forms in July and start thinking about what they can contribute to Deaf Education in New Zealand. We’d love to see you!

Ngā mihi nui,

Dr Denise Powell