Rol en taak van die openbare skakelbeampte en skoolbemarker in die staatsondersteunde skool

Abstract

Deur die navorsing word aangetoon dat openbare skakeling en skoolbemarking wat huidig nog op 'n baie lae vlak in die Suid-Afrikaanse skoolwese funksioneer, 'n al grater noodsaaklikheid in Suid-Afrika gaan word. Die veranderings wat in die Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysstelsel beoog en aangebring word, met spesifieke verwysing na die desentralisering van die voorsiening, bestuur en beheer van die onderwys, het gelei tot die ontstaan van staatsondersteunde skole; 'n behoefte aan nuwe, bykomende bronne van finansiering vir die onderwys; en 'n behoefte aan toenemende ouer- en gemeenskapsbetrokkenheid by die onderwys. Dit het gelei tot 'n dringende behoefte aan verbeterde openbare betrekkinge en skoolbemarking. Met hierdie studie het die navorser gepoog om vas te stel waarom openbare skakeling en skoolbemarking in die nuwe Suid-Afrikaanse onderwysbestel noodsaaklik is; wat die aard van openbare skakeling en skoolbemarking is; wat die rol, funksies, terrein en werkswyses van openbare skakelbeamptes en skoolbemarkers in die staatsondersteunde skoal behels; en hoe die openbare skakeltaak van 'n skool gereel kan word en wat die eienskappe van die openbare skakel- en bemarkingsbeampte behoort te wees. Dit is gedoen ten einde te bepaal wat die opleiding van openbare skakelbeamptes en skoolbemarkers in Suid-Afrika behoort te behels en om 'n model op te stel vir, en strategie vas te stel waarvolgens die huidige situasie in Suid-Afrika ten beste en op die mees ekonomiese wyse aangepak kan word. Uit die ondersoek blyk dit dat die hantering van openbare skakeling en skoolbemarking in staatsondersteunde skole in SuidAfrika in die proaktiewe opbou, skepping·en handhawing van 'n vertrouensverhouding met al die belanghebbendes le. Dit behels onder meer dat die bestuursrade en bestuurskomitees van staats- ondersteunde skole die reg en mag het om besluite aangaande geordende, doelgerigte openbare skakeling en skoolbemarking te neem en dit tot voordeel van die skool aan te wend; en om besluite oor die aanstelling van beamptes en/of daarstelling van fasiliteite vir die opleiding van openbare skakel- en bemarkingsbeamptes te neern. Voorts beskik skole oor 'n ryk bron van mensepotensiaal vir openbare skakeling en skoolbemarking wat ontwikkel kan en behoort te word.

The results of this research show that public relations and school marketing which at present play a very low-key role in the South African school system, is going to become an absolute necessity in future. The changes planned and brought about in the South African education system, with special reference to the decentralisation of the supply, management and control of education, have resulted in * the inception of state-aided schools; * a need for new and additiona! financial resources for education; and * a need for increased parent and community participation in education. These, in turn, have led to a urgent need for improved public relations and marketing in schools. The aims of this study were to ascertain why public relations and the marketing of schools have become necessary in the new dispensation of education in South Africa; what the nature of public relations and marketing in schools comprises; what the role, function, area and work method of public relations and marketing officers in schools are; and how the public relations task can be organised and executed in a school and what characteristics the public relations and marketing officer should ideally have. This was done in order to ascertain what the training of public relations and marketing officers in South Africa should encompass and also to enable the researcher to draw up a model and strategies for the best and most economic way in which to rectify the current situation in South African education. It has emerged from this research that the handling of public relations and marketing in the state-aided school in South Africa lies in the proactive creation, development and maintenance of a trusting relationship between all interested parties. It also emerged that managing councils of state-aided school have the right and power to make decisions regarding ordered, purposeful public relations and marketing to the benefit of their schools; and decide about the appointment of officers and/or ,creation of facilities for the training of public relations and marketing officers. Furthermore, schools have a rich source of people potential for public relations and school marketing which can and should be developed.