Developing management strategies for promoting learner commitment to the realisation of their right to education in secondary schools in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District, Free State Province

Abstract

The recognition and promotion of children’s rights has brought about many changes that impact learners’ status and their education. Recognising learners’ rights has always been and still is, a controversial issue. The aim of this study was to research learner commitment to the realisation of their right to education in secondary schools in the Thabo Mofutsanyana District, Free State Province and to use the findings to develop management strategies for promoting learner commitment. The researcher conducted a qualitative, multiple case study research, employing multiple data-collection methods, such as, a literature study, in-depth interviews and qualitative questionnaires. Using multiple data-collection methods enabled me to ensure validity of the data through triangulation. To secure information-rich participants, the researcher used criterion-based purposive sampling. Common indicators of learners’ non-commitment that were found to be present in all four participating schools were: absenteeism, failure to do homework, bunking of classes, boys belonging to gangs and teenage pregnancy. Factors such as lack of parental involvement, unmotivated learners, educators as poor role models and poor relationships between educators and learners were found to hamper learner commitment in the selected schools. The researcher developed a guide with generic guidelines that the schools could use to formulate a mission, vision and development goal that will sufficiently emphasise the importance of learners’ own commitment to the realisation of their right to education. He also used the threats and weaknesses identified in relation to (1) learners’ rights and responsibilities in relation to their right to education in terms of law and policy and their perspectives on those rights and responsibilities, (2) factors hampering learners’ commitment, (3) strategies school managers and educators currently employ to promote learners’ commitment to the realisation of their right to education, to inform recommendations. Thereafter, strategies were suggested on how these schools could give effect to the recommendations.

Die erkenning en bevordering van kinderregte het baie veranderinge tot gevolg gehad wat ʼn impak op leerders se status en hulle onderrig het. Die erkenning van leerders se regte was nog altyd en is steeds ʼn kontroversiële kwessie. Die doel van hierdie studie was om leerders se toewyding aan die vervulling van hul reg op onderrig in sekondêre skole in die Thabo Mofutsanyana distrik in die Vrystaat na te vors, en om die bevindinge te gebruik om bestuurstrategieë vir die bevordering van leerdertoewyding te ontwikkel. Kwalitatiewe veelvuldige gevallestudienavorsing is onderneem en veelvuldige data-inwinmetodes is gebruik, byvoorbeeld ʼn literatuurstudie, diepte-onderhoude en kwalitatiewe vraelyste. Die gebruik van veelvuldige dataversamelingsmetodes het die navorser in staat gestel om die geldigheid van die data deur triangulasie moontlik te maak. Ten einde te verseker dat inligtingryke deelnemers uitgesoek is, is kriteriagebaseerde doelbewuste steekproefneming gebruik. Die teenwoordigheid van gemeenskaplike aanwysers van leerders se nie-toewyding in al vier deelnemende skole sluit in: afwesigheid, versuiming om tuiswerk te doen, nie-bywoning van klasse, seuns wat aan bendes behoort en tienerswangerskappe. Daar is bevind dat faktore soos die gebrek aan ouerbetrokkenheid, ongemotiveerde leerders, opvoerders wat swak rolmodelle is, en swak verhoudings tussen opvoeders en leerders die toewyding van leerders in die betrokke skole belemmer. ʼn Gids met generiese riglyne is ontwikkel wat skole kan gebruik om ʼn missie, visie en ontwikkelingsdoelwit te formuleer wat op doeltreffende wyse die belangrikheid van leerders se eie toewyding tot hul reg op onderrig sal beklemtoon. Die bedreiginge en swakpunte wat identifiseer is met betrekking tot (1) leerders se regte en verantwoordelikhede teenoor hul reg op onderrig in terme van die reg en beleid en hulle perspektiewe op daardie regte en verantwoordelikhede, (2) faktore wat leerders se toewyding belemmer, (3) strategieë wat skoolbestuurders en opvoeders tans gebruik om leerders se toewyding tot die besef van hul reg op onderrig te bevorder is gebruik om aanbevelings te maak. Vervolgens is strategieë voorgestel oor hoe hierdie skole uitdrukking aan sodanige aanbevelings kan gee.

Ho lemohuwa le ho phahamiswa ha ditokelo tsa bana ho tlisitse diphetoho tse ngata tse amang maemo a baithuti le thuto ya bona. Ho lemoha ditokelo tsa baithuti esale e le taba e bakang kgang ebile ho ntse ho le jwalo. Morero wa phuputso ke ho etsa dipatlisiso tsa boitlamo ba baithuti ho phethahatseng tokelo ya bona ya thuto dikolong tse mahareng Seterekeng sa Thabo Mofutsanyana, Porofensing ya Foreisitata le ho sebedisa diphetho ho ntlafatsa maano a taolo bakeng sa ho phahamisa boitlamo ba baithuti. Ke ile ka etsa dipatlisiso tsa maemo a mangata tsa boleng, ka sebedisa mekgwa e mengata ya ho bokella lesedi, jwalo ka phuputso ya dingolweng, dipuisano tse tebileng le mathathamo a dipotso a boleng. Ho sebedisa mekgwa e mengata ya ho bokella lesedi ho ile ha nthusa hore ke netefatse ho nepahala ha lesedi ka mokgwa wa ho hokanya ka ho nepahala. Ho etsa bonnete bah ore ke lekola bankakarolo ba ruileng tlhahisoleseding, ke sebedisitse mehlala e ipapisang le sepheo. Dipontsho tse tlwaelehileng tsa ho se itlame ha baithuti tse fumanweng di le teng dikolong tse nne tse nkang karolo ke: ho lofa, ho hloleha ho etsa mosebetsi wa sekolo, ho se ye diphaposing, bashanyana ba kenang dikenkeng, le ho ima ha batjha. Mabaka a jwalo ka kgaello ya ho nka karolo ha batswadi, baithuti ba se nang boikemisetso, matitjhere e le mehlala e mebe, le dikamano tse mpe dipakeng tsa matitjhere le baithuti di fumanwe di sitisa boitlamo ba baithuti dikolong tse kgethilweng. Ke ntlafaditse tataiso e nang le ditataiso tse akaretsang tseo dikolo di ka di sebedisang ho theha sepheo, pono le sepheo sa ntlafatso se tla hatisa ka ho lekana bohlokwa ba boitlamo ba baithuti ho phethahatseng tokelo ya bona ya thuto. Ke boetse ke sebedisitse dikotsi le bofokodi tse hlwauweng mabapi le (1) ditokelo le boikarabello ba baithuti mabapi le tokelo ya bona ya thuto ho latela molao le leano le maikutlo a bona mabapi le ditokelo le boikarabello tseo, (2) mabaka a sitisang boitlamo ba baithuti, (3) maano ao batsamaisi ba dikolo le matitjhere ba a sebedisang hajwale ho kgothaletsa boitlamo ba baithuti ho phethahatseng tokelo ya bona ya thuto, ho fana ka ditlhahiso. Kamora moo ho ile ha hlahiswa maano a hore na ditokelo tsena di ka etsa jwang ho fihlela dikgothaletso tse jwalo.