Compliance with the constitutional norms and principles for democratic public administration at rural secondary schools in the Chris Hani West District, Eastern Cape Province

Abstract

By means of a qualitative multiple case study, I investigated the compliance of the administrations of three rural secondary schools in the Chris Hani West District, Eastern Cape Province with the constitutional democratic principles of cooperation, accountability and transparency. I consulted legal sources to identify provisions dealing with the implementation of these principles and to create a framework for data analysis and interpretation. Fieldwork commenced with a document analysis of relevant school documents, followed by focus groups with members of representative councils of learners, school management teams and school governing bodies. I concluded with semi-structured interviews with principals. I discovered a general lack of compliance with the identified principles, possibly attributable to the exclusion of learners from decision-making processes, unhealthy relationships among educators, autocratic leadership style, lack of communication, and lack of knowledge of the legal prescripts on the part of learners and the parent component of the school governing body.

Ngokwenza uphando olusebenzisa imizekelo yeemeko ezininzi, ndiphande indlela eziyithobela ngayo imigaqo yolawulo izikolo ezithathu kwisithili sakuKomani eMpuma Koloni ngokumalunga neenqobo zedemokhrasi zentsebenziswano, ukwamkela uxanduva nokusebenza ngokungafihlisiyo. Ndithethe namaziko omthetho ngenjongo yokuchonga izibonelelo eziphathelene nokusetyenziswa kwezi nqobo, ndifuna nokuqulunqa uphahla lokwakha isakhelo sokuhlalutya nokutolika iinkcukacha zolwazi eziqokelelweyo. Umsebenzi wasentsimini (ukutyelela amaziko achaphazelekayo) uqale ngokuphengulula imibhalo yesikolo ebalulekileyo, kwalandela amaqela angundoqo namalungu eekomiti ezimele abafundi, abalawuli besikolo nabameli babazali abakwiikomiti ezilawula isikolo. Kugqityelwe ngodliwano ndlebe oluphantse lwaqingqwa neenqununu zezo zikolo. Ndifumanise ukungathotyelwa jikelele kweenqobo ezichongiweyo, mhlawumbi ngenxa yokungabandakanywa kwabafundi kwiinkqubo zokuthatha izigqibo, ukungavisisani kwabafundisi ntsapho, ukuphatha ngegqudu, ukungabonisani, nokungabi nalwazi lomthetho kwabafundi nabazali abangabameli bekomiti elawula isikolo.

Die navorser het ’n kwalitatiewe veelvoudige gevallestudie gebruik om die administrasies van drie landelike sekondêre skole in die Chris Hani West-distrik, Oos-Kaap, se nakoming van die grondwetlik demokratiese beginsels van samewerking, aanspreeklikheid en deursigtigheid te ondersoek. Die navorser het regsbronne geraadpleeg om bepalings rakende die implementering van hierdie beginsels te identifiseer en ’n raamwerk vir die ontleding en vertolking van data tot stand te bring. Die veldwerk het met ’n analise van tersaaklike skooldokumente begin, wat deur fokusgroepsessies met lede van verteenwoordigende leerlingrade, skoolbestuurspanne en skoolbeheerliggame opgevolg is. Die veldwerk is met semigestruktureerde onderhoude met skoolhoofde afgesluit. Die navorser het ’n algemene gebrek aan nakoming van die geïdentifiseerde beginsels gevind, wat moontlik aan die uitsluiting van leerders van besluitnemingsprosesse, ongesonde verhoudings onder opvoeders, ’n outokratiese leierskapstyl, ’n gebrek aan kommunikasie en ’n gebrek aan kennis van die tersaaklike regsvoorskrifte onder leerders en die ouerkomponent van die skoolbeheerliggame toegeskryf kan word.