The contribution of the Integrated Quality Management System to whole school development in South Africa

Abstract

The effectiveness of educational reform initiatives depends on the impact of the policy on the whole school. The Integrated Quality Management System (IQMS - 2005) in South Africa is a performance management system aimed at improving the quality of education. This article reports on the investigation done for a doctoral thesis (Rabichund 2011). The study adopted a mixed-method approach within purposefully selected schools. Its aim was to explain the impact of the Integrated Quality Management System on Whole School Development in the light of the national policy. The findings reveal educators views on IQMS and the impact of IQMS on schools. The difficulty with IQMS implementation was that it did not necessarily translate easily into a plan of action in the schools that led to effective whole school development. An ongoing challenge therefore exists for South African schools in their search for quality, in particular in the effective implementation of IQMS for the sake of Whole School Development.