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Guidelines for Parent Manager Election

Guidelines for Parent Manager Election

The school established the "Salvation Army Lam Butt Memorial School Incorporated Management Committee" on August 31, 2006, in accordance with the Hong Kong Education Ordinance. To ensure better planning and management of the school, the following are the guidelines for the parent manager election:

 

 

Guidelines for Parent Manager Election

 

Introduction

These election guidelines are established in accordance with the provisions of the Education Ordinance (hereinafter referred to as "the Ordinance"). For details regarding the election of parent managers, please refer to Annex 1.

 

The Candidature

All parents of current students at the school are eligible to become candidates. This includes guardians of the student and individuals who are not the parents or guardians but are responsible for the care of the student.

The following conditions disqualify a parent from being nominated as a parent manager:

(i)He/She is currently employed as a teacher at the school; or

(ii)He/She does not meet the registration requirements for managers as stipulated in Section 30 of the Education Ordinance.

No individual may simultaneously serve as both a parent manager and an alumni manager. If elections for both categories are held at the same time, candidates may not run for both positions.

 

Number and Tenure

The school's incorporated management committee's constitution specifies that there is one parent manager and one alternate parent manager, with a term of one year.

 

Nomination Procedures

Returning Officer

The Executive Committee of the Parent-Teacher Association (hereinafter referred to as "the PTA") will appoint a Returning Officer to oversee the nomination process, distribution of ballots, and vote counting. The Returning Officer may be elected by the PTA Executive Committee or appointed from among the teaching staff at the school; however, the Returning Officer cannot be a candidate in the parent manager election.

Period of Nomination

The nomination deadline must be at least 14 days prior to the election date.

Nomination

The Returning Officer will notify all parents of the parent manager election at least 7 days before the nomination deadline and will include the nomination form with the notification. Each parent may nominate themselves or another eligible candidate. Each parent may nominate only one candidate and must have one supporter, who must also be a parent of a current student.

If the number of candidates is equal to or less than the number of vacancies, the candidates will be automatically elected. If no nominations are received, the PTA will extend the nomination deadline and election date by 14 days.

 

Candidates’ Information

Each nominated candidate must provide the Returning Officer with a personal profile, limited to 500 words.

The Returning Officer will send another notification to all parents at least 7 days before the election day, explaining the election arrangements and schedule, as well as listing the names of the nominated candidates. The Returning Officer may include the candidates' profiles with this notification, but the PTA will not assume any legal liability for publishing this information.

 

Electors’Eligibility

All parents of current students at the school are eligible to vote. All eligible voters have equal voting rights. Each parent (including father, mother, or guardian), regardless of the number of children enrolled at the school, is entitled to one vote and must vote in their personal capacity.

 

Election Procedures

Date of Voting

The date for voting in the parent manager election must be at least 14 days after the nomination deadline.

Voting Method

To ensure a fair election, voting shall be conducted by secret ballot, meaning voters must not write their names or any identifiable symbols on the ballot, nor may they allow other voters to see whom they are voting for.

Parents may submit their ballots by mail, through their children to the school, or in person.

Counting of Votes

The Returning Officer must arrange a counting session, inviting all parents, candidates, and/or the principal to attend and witness the counting process.

The Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the PTA, the Returning Officer, and/or the principal must participate in the witnessing of the vote counting. The following conditions will render a ballot invalid:

(i) The number of candidates marked on the ballot exceeds the allowed limit;

(ii) The ballot is filled out incorrectly; or

(iii) The ballot includes any symbols that could identify the voter.

1.No benefits shall be offered to induce others not to vote in the election.

2.No benefits shall be offered to induce others to vote or not vote for a particular candidate.

3.No food, drinks, or entertainment shall be provided, nor shall costs for such items be reimbursed, to influence others not to vote in the election.

4.No food, drinks, or entertainment shall be provided, nor shall costs for such items be reimbursed, to influence others to vote or not vote for a particular candidate.

5.No force or threats thereof shall be used to influence another person's voting decision.

6. No deceptive practices shall be employed to induce anyone not to vote in the election.

7.No deceptive practices shall be used to induce anyone to vote or not vote for a particular candidate.

Voting

 

1.No false or misleading statements concerning a candidate’s character, qualifications, or past behavior shall be made.

2.Participation in any activities that could lead to criticism or allegations of impropriety is prohibited, and adherence to fair election principles is required.

3.No claims or implications of support from any individual or organization shall be made in any campaign activity, especially in campaign materials, unless written consent has been obtained from that individual or organization.

Campaign Activities

 

1.No benefits shall be offered to anyone to induce them to run or not run for election.

2.No benefits shall be provided to induce any nominated candidate to withdraw from the election.

3.No benefits shall be offered to prevent any candidate from making their best efforts to secure election.

4.No benefits shall be solicited or accepted in exchange for running or not running for election.

5.No benefits shall be solicited or accepted to withdraw from the election after being nominated as a candidate.

6.No benefits shall be solicited or accepted to prevent a candidate from making their best efforts to secure election.

7.No force or threats thereof shall be used to compel anyone to run or not run for election, or to withdraw from the election.

8.No deceptive practices shall be employed to induce anyone to run or not run for election, or to withdraw from the election.

Nomination of Candidates

Ethical Guidelines to Observe in the Parent Manager Election

 

 

Content

30

The Permanent Secretary may refuse to register an applicant as a manager of a school if it appears to the Permanent Secretary that—

  • the applicant is not resident in Hong Kong for at least 9 months in each year;
  • the applicant is not a fit and proper person to be a manager;
  • the applicant is a person in respect of whom a permit to teach has previously been cancelled;
  • if the applicant is under the age of 18 years
  • the applicant has attained the age of 70 years and he fails to produce a medical certificate certifying that the applicant is physically fit to perform the functions of a manager;
  • the applicant is under the age of 70 years and he fails to produce, upon a request by the Permanent Secretary, a medical certificate issued by a registered medical practitioner after the date of such request certifying that the applicant is physically fit to perform the functions of a manager;
  • in making or in connection with any application—

(i) for registration of a school;

(ii) for registration as a manager or a teacher; or

(iii) to employ a person as a permitted teacher in a school,

the applicant has made any statement or furnished any information which is false in any material particular or by reason of the omission of any material particular.

  • If the applicant is a bankrupt within the meaning of the Bankruptcy Ordinance (Cap. 6) or has entered into a voluntary arrangement under that Ordinance
  • the applicant has previously been convicted in Hong Kong or elsewhere of a criminal offence punishable with imprisonment;or
  • if the applicant has been registered as a manager of 5 or more schools.

40AL
  • The incorporated management committee of a school may recognize one body of persons (however described) as recognized parent-teacher association for the purposes of making nomination under subsection (4).

  • the incorporated management committee of a bi-sessional school may recognize, one body of persons (however described) as recognized parent-teacher association in respect of the A.M. session of the bi-sessional school; and another body of persons (however described) as recognized parent-teacher association in respect of the P.M. session of the bi-sessional school,

  • If the school has only one parent manager, there must also be one alternate parent manager.

40AO

The incorporated management committee may recognize a group as an approved Parent-Teacher Association, provided its constitution specifies that only the following individuals may serve as officers

(i) Parents of current students at the school; or

(ii) Current teachers at the school. Elections for parent managers and alternate parent managers must be conducted by the approved Parent-Teacher Association.

The approved Parent-Teacher Association may nominate the number of individuals stipulated in the incorporated management committee's constitution for registration as parent managers or alternate parent managers.

The election process must be fair, open, and transparent.

Candidates must be parents of current students. Candidates must not be teachers at the school.

All parents must have equal voting rights and eligibility to run for election.

Voting must be conducted by secret ballot.

40AS
  • ·Parent managers and alternate parent managers must be elected in the same manner for nomination and registration as managers

40AU
  • The nomination process for filling vacancies of parent managers must be the same as the process for appointing the manager whose position has become vacant.

40AV
  • If a parent manager is no longer a parent of a current student at the school, their term will continue until the term expires or the end of the academic year, whichever comes first.

40AX
  • If the approved Parent-Teacher Association believes a parent manager is unfit to continue serving, a resolution may be passed in a manner similar to that used for electing that manager, and a written request may be submitted to the incorporated management committee to cancel the registration of the parent manager. Upon receiving such a request, the incorporated management committee must notify the Permanent Secretary in writing to request the cancellation of the parent manager's registration.
 

《Education Ordinance》

Regulations Regarding the Election of Parent Managers

 

If a parent manager’s child is no longer a current student at the school during their term, that manager’s term may continue until the term expires or the end of the academic year, whichever comes first.

If a parent manager resigns during their term, the PTA must conduct a by-election in the same manner within three months to fill the vacancy.

Filling of Casual Vancancies

 

The PTA must nominate the elected parent to serve as the school’s parent manager. Subsequently, the incorporated management committee must apply to the Permanent Secretary to register the elected parent as a school manager.

Follow-up Actions after Election

 

The Returning Officer will send a letter to all parents announcing the election results.

Unsuccessful candidates may appeal to the PTA in writing within one week of the announcement of the results, stating their reasons for the appeal. If two-thirds of the attending members of the PTA Executive Committee vote in favor, the election may be declared invalid.

Announcing Results

 

After the election, all ballots will be placed in a sealed envelope. The Returning Officer and the Chairperson or Vice Chairperson of the PTA must sign the envelope, which will then be sealed. The envelope and ballots must be retained by the PTA for at least six months for investigation purposes in case of any allegations of electoral misconduct.

The candidate receiving the most votes will be nominated for registration as the parent manager, while the candidate with the second most votes will be nominated as the alternate parent manager. If two or more candidates receive the same number of votes, the Returning Officer will arrange for a draw to determine the winner.