SCHEDULE 4 THE BALLOT INFORMATION CODE
Regulation 15(1)
1 The principles specified in paragraph 2 shall apply in providing material for parents relating to a petition or ballot.
2 Material provided:
(a) should provide information which is as factual and accurate as possible, with a view to helping parents to reach a soundly-based decision about whether grammar schools should, or should not, retain selective admission arrangements;
(b) insofar as it offers opinions, predictions or views, it should do so on the basis of fact or a reasonable interpretation of fact; and should clearly distinguish between what is fact and what is opinion or prediction;
(c) should be objective and explanatory, seeking to clarify the issues without omitting important facts or arguments, and without selecting facts or arguments in such a way as to distort or mislead;
(d) should not be likely to cause alarm, concern or offence;
(e) should not in content, tone or presentation be party political;
(f) should not attack the views of individuals or of groups taking a different view of the future of selective admission arrangements at grammar schools.
3 The following standards should be observed at meetings for parents and in other open debate:
(a) if meetings about the future of grammar school selective admission arrangements are arranged for parents, they should be publicised, as far as is reasonable, to all those with an interest;
(b) the presentations should, taken together, provide an overall picture which is balanced, fair and unbiased;
(c) oral information should be accurate and should not mislead the audience;
(d) comments on, or responses to, the policies of central and local government should be objective, balanced, informative and accurate.