Greening the school for sustainable development: a case of Tshwane North District

Abstract

This study is environmental in nature, occurring within a series of nested frameworks, namely school role players, sustainable development and greening schools. From a South African context, the day-to-day operations of the school activities and programmes are not solely the principal’s responsibility. It is a shared responsibility among every person involved in an educational school context. The principal has the overall responsibility of leading and professionally managing the school through the school management team (SMT) and is accountable to the employer, which is the provincial Head of the Department of Education. The principal is also accountable to the community through the school governing body (SGB), which consists of elected representatives from the school community. This study was guided by these research questions: (1) What is the nature of the knowledge of the role players in the Tshwane North District schools about greening the school? (2) How do the contextual factors in the Tshwane North District schools shape the greening of the school? The SMT and SGB are key role players and gatekeepers at the school level. They were purposefully and conveniently sampled at three Tshwane North District (TND) primary schools in Gauteng Province of South Africa according to their locations (rural, township, urban). They participated in focus group interviews, observations and document analysis. The study, qualitative in nature, explored strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats in greening the school for sustainable development. The two role players might not be knowledgeable about green and sustainable development, however given the opportunity to explore their knowledge, provided insight about greening schools and how to possibly change to more sustainable practices. Data collected was subjected to thematic content analysis. The results revealed that schools’ funds are swiftly depleted on resources such as water, energy, transportation, paper, stationary, maintenance and equipment, to name but a few. The results also revealed limited green culture across institutions, due to little knowledge of greening and sustainability practices by school role players. This was attributed to a lack of policy framework by schools which was exacerbated by a lack of capacity building from expertise in greening schools for sustainable development.

Hierdie studie is omgewings van aard wat plaasvind binne 'n reeks nes raamwerke, naamlik skoolrolspelers, volhoubare ontwikkeling en vergroening van skole. Uit 'n Suid-Afrikaanse konteks is die dag-tot-dag-bedrywighede van die skoolaktiwiteite en -programme nie net die skoolhoof se verantwoordelikheid nie. Dit is 'n gedeelde verantwoordelikheid onder elke persoon wat in 'n opvoedkundige skoolverband betrokke is.Die skoolhoof het die oorhoofse verantwoordelikheid om die skool deur die skoolbestuurspan (SUT) te lei en professioneel te bestuur en is verantwoordbaar teenoor die werkgewer, wat die provinsiale hoof van die departement van onderwys is.Die skoolhoof is ook deur die skoolbeheerliggaam (SGB) aan die gemeenskap verantwoordbaar, wat uit verkose verteenwoordigers uit die skoolgemeenskap bestaan.Die SMT en SGB is sleutelrolspelers en hekwagters op skoolvlak.Hulle is volgens hul plekke (landelike, township, stedelike) doelgerigte en gerieflik by drie Tshwane-Noord-distrikskole (TND) in Gautengprovinsie van Suid-Afrika gemonster.Hulle het deelgeneem aan fokusgroeponderhoude, waarnemings en dokumentanalise.Die studie, kwalitatiewe van aard wat daarop gemik is om sterk punte, swakhede, geleenthede en bedreigings te ondersoek om die skool vir volhoubare ontwikkeling te verging Die twee rolspelers is dalk nie kundig oor groen en volhoubare ontwikkeling nie, maar gegewe die geleentheid om hul kennis te ondersoek, het hulle 'n insig gegee oor groen skole en moontlik verandering aan volhoubare gedrag.Data wat ingesamel is, is aan tematiese inhoudsanalise onderwerp. Die bevindinge het aan die lig gebring dat skole se fondse vinnig uitgeput is op hulpbronne soos water, energie, vervoer, papier, stilstaande, instandhouding en toerusting om maar net 'n paar te noem.Die bevindinge het ook min kennis van vergroenings- en volhoubaarheidspraktyke deur skoolrolspelers geopenbaar.Dit is toegeskryf deur 'n gebrek aan beleidsraamwerke deur skole wat vererger is deur 'n gebrek aan kapasiteitsbou van kundigheid in die vergroening van skole vir volhoubare ontwikkeling.

Thutong ena ke ea tikoloho e hlahang ka hara letoto la meralo, e leng, ba nkang karolo ea sekolo, ntshwetsopele ea nako e telele le likolo tse tala.Ho tsoa maemong a Afrika Boroa, tshebetso ea letsatsi le letsatsi ea mesebetsi ea sekolo le mananeo ha se feela boikarabello ba mosuoe-hlooho.Ke boikarabello bo arolelanoeng hara motho e mong le e mong ea amehang molemong oa sekolo sa thuto.Hlooho ea sekolo e na le boikarabello ka kakaretso ba ho etella pele le ho tsamaisa sekolo ka sehlopha sa botsamaisi ba sekolo (SMT) mme o ikarabella ho mohiri, e leng Hlooho ea profinse ea Lefapha la Thuto.Hlooho ea sekolo e boetse e ikarabella ho sechaba ka sehlopha se busang sa sekolo (SGB), se nang le baemeli ba khethiloeng ba tsoang sechabeng sa sekolo.SMT le SGB ke karolo ea bohlokoa le balebeli ba liheke boemong ba sekolo.Li ile tsa etsoa sampole ka morero le ka mokhoa o bonolo likolong tse tharo tsa mathomo tsa Tshwane North (TND) tse Profinseng ea Gauteng ea Afrika Boroa ho latela libaka tsa bona (mahaeng, metse-literopong, le toropong).Maloko a SMT le SGB ba nkile karolo lipuisanong tsa sehlopha se tsepamisitseng maikutlo, maikutlo le tlhahlobo ea litokomane.Boithuto bona, bo nang le boleng ba tlhaho bo ikemiselitse ho lekola matla, bofokoli, menyetla le litšokelo ho silafatsa sekolo bakeng sa ntshetsopele e tsitsitseng. Baetsi ba karolo ba babeli ba kanna ba se be le tsebo mabapi le ntshetsopele ea botala le bo tsitsitseng, empa ba fuoe monyetla oa ho lekola tsebo ea bona, ba fane ka leseli mabapi le likolo tse talafatsang mme mohlomong li fetohela mekhoeng e tsitsitseng.Boitsebiso bo bokelletsoeng bo ile ba hlahlojoa ka litaba tsa bona, mme liphuputso li senotse hore lichelete tsa likolo li felloa kapele ho lisebelisoa tse kang metsi, motlakase, lipalangoang, pampiri, tse emeng, tlhokomelo le lisebelisoa ho bolela tse maloa feela.Liphuputso li boetse li senotse tsebo e nyane ea tshebetso ea tikoloho le botsitso ke bankakarolo ba sekolo.Sena se bakiloe ke ho haelloa ke moralo oa leano ke likolo tse ileng tsa mpefatsoa ke khaello ea matlafatso ho tsoa boitseaning ba likolo tsa botala bakeng sa ntshetsopele e tsitsitseng