The role of the school governing body and its impact on the schooling system : an exploratory study of schools in the Schoonoord Circuit, Limpopo

Abstract

The study aimed to determine the impact of the role of the School Governing Bodies in the schooling system with regard to the implementation of education policies, including the South African Schools Act (Act 84 of 1996 as amended). In order to determine the role of the participants mentioned above who represented the SGBs in this project, the researcher interviewed them at their convenient times and environment. This study used a qualitative approach, since it involved a series of in-depth interviews, document analysis and field notes (see 4.5.4 and 4.5.5). The first interviews were individual interviews with school principals (see Annexure A). This was followed by focus group interviews with executive members of SGBs (see Annexures B, C and D). Learners were interviewed in the form of focus groups (see Annexure E). Observations too played an important role during the meetings with SGBs (see Annexure F). The findings indicate that SGB members who were interviewed had minimal knowledge of how their role affected the schools that they governed. It was also clear from interviews that training conducted by individuals from the Department of Education seemed not to be effective as they failed to make members of the SGBs understand the school policies on the South African Schools Act policy document.

The study revealed that the school policies embodied in SASA documents and the South African Constitution were not understood and as such their effective use was not realised. In other words, the members of the SGB lacked proper knowledge of how to guide their school in order to run smoothly and efficiently. Again, the study revealed that there is a serious need to train members of SGBs at the school level because those interviewed complained about: the time allocated for their training, and the language used in their training by the facilitators. All the above factors have a strong bearing on the fact that the majority of members of SGBs are illiterate (see Section 5.3.2).

Finally, the study revealed that: principals are expected to perform dual roles of representing their schools (as mentors) and simultaneously represent the Department of Education in an ex-officio position (see Section 5.3.1). Therefore, the study proposed that the principal must only represent his school and a neutral person be appointed by the department to represent it in all the SGBs in the circuit. Lastly, the study emphasised the need of the SGB members to work with other qualified individuals in the community who are experts in some areas of learning such as lawyers, accountants, farmers, architects, and business people (see Figure 5.1). All stakeholders are relevant, but they need to be made to function according to their qualifications and expertise and also respect the boundaries of specialisation of the others.

In conclusion, the recommended and proposed model was deliberately designed and structured to offer practical solutions to the problems discussed in the research findings. It is also essential that the training be accompanied by some assessment, in order to determine whether the SGB members have understood what they were taught. Furthermore, there should be follow-ups to ascertain to what extent the SGB members have implemented what they were taught in their schools, which is not happening at present.

Die doel van die studie was om die rol en/of impak van deelnemende skole se beheerrade op die implementering van onderwyswetgewing en/of beleid was. Aangesien die studie kwalitatief van aard was, het die navorser hoofsaaklik van waarneming en onderhoude (indiepte indiwiduele sowel as fokusgroeponderhoude) gebruik gemaak om data in te samel. Navorsingsbresultate dui aan dat deelnemende skoolbeheerraadslede se geletterdheidsvaardighede en begrip van onderwyswetgewing en beleid gebrekkig is en dat opleiding wat deur amptenare verbonde aan die Departement van Onderwys verskaf is gebrekkig was. Gevolglik was die imlementering van onderwyswetgewing en beleid deur genoemde skoolbeheerrade as ‘n reël ondoeltreffend. Die resultate dui verder aan dat daar van skoolhoofde verwag word om sowel hul skole as die Department van Onderwys op skoolbeheerraadsvergaderings te verteenwoordig en dat, ten einde hul skole doeltreffend te bestuur, skoolbeheerraadslede ander gekwalifiseerde/professionele indiwidue in die gemeenskap – regsgeleerdes, boekhouers, boere, argitekte and besigheidsmense – in die skoolbeheerraad se aktiwiteite behoort te betrek. Op grond van hierdie bevindinge beveel die navorser dus aan dat (a) skoolhoofde slegs hulle skole op skoolbeheerraadsvergaderings behoort te verteenwoordig; (b) ‘n neutrale persoon deur die Departement van Onderwys aangestel word om dié se verteenwoordiger te wees; (c) die teoretiese opleidingsmodel wat hy in sy studie voorstel, moontlik kan bdra tot die uitskakeling van heelparty van die probleme/uitdagings wat in die studie uitgelig word; (d) opleiding een of ander vorm van assessering moet insluit ten einde te bepaal of bywonende skoolbeheerraadslede die nodige begrip verwerf het, en (e) opleiding deur skoolbesoeke opgevolg word om te bepaal tot welke mate dit skoolbeheerraadslede tydens opleiding geleer het toepas.

Maikemišetšo a phatišišo ye ke go utulla karalo yeo lekgotlataolo la sekolo le nago nayo go lenaneo la sekolo malebana le phethagatšo ya melawana ya thuto, le go akaretšwa le lenaneo la Taolo ya Dikolo (Act 84 of 1996 as amended). Gore go hlaolwe karalo ya batšeakarolo ba ka gare ga SGB tabeng ye, mofatišiši o boledišane le bona tikologong le nako yeo e ba swanetšego.Phatišišo e dirišitše mokgwa wa boleng ka ge go akareditšwe dipoledišano tša go tsenelela le phetleko ya dingwalwa tša maleba (cf 4.5.4 le 4.5.5).Poledišano ya pulamadibogo ke ya dihlogo tša dikolo (cf Annexure A).Seo se latetšwe ke dipoledišanothwi le maloko a makgotlaphethiši a makgotlataolo a dikolo (cf Annexures B, C le D). Go boledišanwe le barutwana ka sebopego sa dihlophana (cf Annexure E). Diphihlelelo le tšona di bile bohlokwa dikopanong tša makgotlataolo a dikolo (cf Annexure F). Dikutullo di laeditše gore maloko a SGB a go boledišanwego le ona, a na le tsebo ye nnyane ya ka moo batšeakarolo bja ona, bo nago le khuetšo dikolong tšeo ba di laolago. Dipoledišano di laeditše gore tlhahlo yeo balaodi ba Kgoro ya Thuto ba e abetšego maloko a SGB e a fokola ka ge e šitwa go kgontšha maloko a SGB go hlaologanya melawana ya thuto yeo e tšwago go molao wa taolo ya dikolo. Phatišišo e utulotše gore melawana ya thuto ye e akareditšwego ka go dingwalwa tša Molaotheo wa Afrika Borwa, ga e kwešišwe le gore ga e phethagatšwe ka tshwanelo. Maloko a SGB a hlaelelwa ke tsebo ya maleba go ka kgona go hlahla dikolo gore di sepetšwe ka katlego. Phatišišo e utulotše gape gore go tsomega tlhahlo ya maloko a SGB dikolong. Dintlha tše di laeditšwego di gatelela taba ya gore boati bja maloko a makgotlataolo a dikolo ga kgone go bala le go ngwala (cf 5.3.2). Mafelelong, go latetšwe gore dihlogo tša dikolo di raloke karalo ya go emela dikolo tša bona le go emela Kgoro ya Thuto ka bo emo bja semmušo (cf 5.3.1). Phatišišo e šišinya gore hlogo ya sekolo a emele sekolo sa gagwe gomme motho wa go ikema a emele Kgoro ya Thuto makgotlataolong a dikolo sedikothutong. Phatišišo e fetša ka go hlohleletša maloko a SGB go dirišana le ditsebi mafaphene a tša semolao, taolo ya ditšhelete le, balemi le ba bangwe (cf 5.1). Batšeakarolo ba bohlokwa ka moka ge go ka hlomphiwa bokgoni bja yo mongwe le yo mongwe. Go phethwa ka gore mokgwa wa tlhahlo o swanetšwe go sepelelana le tokelo go kgonthišiša kwešišo ya maloko a SGB go tšeo ba rutilwego.