The role of the school governing bodies in creating an educative climate in schools : a case study of a school in Soweto South Africa

Abstract

This study is about the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) which currently run schools in the country and it was done in a school in Soweto as a case study. The participants were the vice-chairperson, principal, deputy, secretary and treasurer because these are the core of the executive membership of the SGBs. The role of each is fully described in the policy documents of the Department of Basic Education. The focus of the study was to find out whether the SGBs do indeed create an educative atmosphere in schools as laid down in the government policies or have the discretion and leeway to deviate from such without incurring the wrought of the Department. The research was conducted through the qualitative approach because it involved a series of in-depth interviews. The study used a purposive sampling method to identify a few participants who are actually involved in the management of the selected school. Hence, the research findings are such that the interviewees claim that they knew very little of their new responsibilities, duties and functions when they took office but gradually they acquired the necessary information, knowledge and skills to discharge their exacting mandate. They point out that the South Africa School’s Act 84 of 1996 is the most informative policy document that guided and also assisted them in carrying out their responsibilities with confidence. In the final analysis, the study revealed that workshops on skills development are very much important because they are empowering. From the research findings various themes emerged which formed the basis upon which the following proposal was made, i.e. that: a methodological theoretical framework that has at its core the SGB with other important stakeholders in the periphery contributing towards creating an educative climate in the school be established.