ePetition - Stop using schools as polling stations for elections

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ePetition details

Stop using schools as polling stations for elections

We the undersigned petition Brighton & Hove Council to stop using schools as polling stations for local, national and European elections.

When schools are used as polling stations, the majority have to be shut, to ensure the safeguarding of pupils.

This puts additional pressure on working parents, who struggle to cover the number of school holidays as it is. Parents should not have to pay for childcare or use up annual leave to cover the council using their child's school as a polling station.

Using schools as polling stations also impacts our children's education. Using the example of May 2019, children at Downs Infants School are due to miss 2 days of schooling per child.

By the council's own admission children " can only miss school if:
• they're too ill to go
• they're traveling to or from a medical appointment with the GP, hospital or the dentist
• they're traveling to or from a work experience placement
• you asked the school for permission, in advance."
(Taken from https://new.brighton-hove.gov.uk/schools-and-learning/absent-school/when-children-can-and-cant-miss-school on 25/04/19)

If parents take their children out of school, they are charged £60 per parent.

Yet parents receive no additional help to cover childcare costs when the school is closed for elections.
Why is one rule for the council, and another for hard-working parents?

For the reasons stated above we petition the council to stop using schools as polling stations for elections.

This ePetition ran from 25/04/2019 to 10/07/2019 and has now finished.

358 people signed this ePetition.

Council response

The petition is due to be presented to the Policy, Resources & Growth Committee meeting on the 11th July 2019.

 


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