Dear Parents,

We all received an email yesterday from the Treasurer of ABA with rather concerning news. The situation certainly calls for the ABA Board elections in May 2019 to result in the most competent and professional candidates being elected to represent you at the highest decision making body at ABA.

For you as a parent it is very important that ABA provides the best education for your children in a stimulating environment. Top quality teachers, the new Irfan campus, sustainable financing are all essential elements for the success of ABA.

Important decisions to achieve this mission are taken by the ABA Board, and therefore the Board should consist of high calibre people with the right experience. To attract these people, the Board elections should not be rushed from its originally planned date of 28 May to 1 May 2019. Contrary to the message of the Chairman of the Board, putting the election back to the original date does not flout any Bylaw or Policy, as elections can be held on any day in the school year.

Also, it is essential that the voice of all parents is heard at these elections, which was not the case in 2018 when less than 20% of the parents participated in the Board elections using paper voting. Voting can be made much more easier through electronic voting, thus allowing all parents to participate.

Options for electronic voting have been reviewed together with ABA IT and I have made a proposal to the ABA Board to use electronic voting for the upcoming Board elections. Electronic voting is simple and secure, and is used by many large organizations around the world. However, the Board seems to be dragging their heels to adopt electronic voting for the upcoming Board elections.

Therefore, this petition to:

1. Move back the ABA Board election date to its original date of 28 May 2019
2. Use electronic voting to allow all parents to cast their vote and select the right candidates

Grateful if you could support me by signing this petition. I will present the results of this petition to the ABA Board to ensure that your voice is being listened to.

Thomas Meijssen

An ABA Parent

15 April 2019