The role and functioning of marketing of public schools in Gauteng Province

Abstract

Schools, specifically in Gauteng, have started to feel the pressure to compete with other schools for prospective learners’ and parents’ attention to enrol at their individual schools. The explicit marketing of the schools has become a must for every school wanting to attract quality learners to their schools. The time when schools could depend on the learners from the immediate community to attend the school geographically closest to them has long gone. Parents and learners alike are scouting for a school that will best fit their needs. This study focused on secondary schools in the Tshwane South District 4 that already have a marketing team in place managing and focusing on marketing activities at their schools. This study attempts to give guidelines to individuals at the head of the marketing events and activities at their school to improve their attempts based on business-related marketing models and tools. A qualitative research method was followed in which five schools participated and eight individuals were interviewed using semi-structured interviews. The questions were prepared based on the four main research objectives: 1) to explain how the nature and importance of marketing impact on the management of a public school; 2) to describe how the roles of the school management team (SMT), school governing body (SGB), educators, and the community are understood in the marketing of a public school; 3) to identify what the necessary management actions are that schools can follow to enhance their positioning in a changing marketing environment; and 4) to specify the core issues that form part of a comprehensive and coherent marketing strategy for schools. Through the research, it was established that marketing plays a vital role in the successful functioning of a school. There are various role players involved in the successful execution of a strategic marketing plan for each school, especially the leadership of a school. The leadership, in turn, must be supported by various other groups of people including the staff at the school, the learners, and the wider community of the school. The actions of the leaders in the marketing of the school must be focused on satisfying the wants and needs of the learners and parents. It is the learners and parents that become ambassadors for the school outside of the direct school community. It is recommended, as found in this study, that all schools must have a dedicated appointed marketer at the school. Together with the SMT and SGB, a concrete strategic marketing plan must be developed to ensure that the vision, mission, and culture of the school are captured and reflected in all marketing activities and events. The focus must be on the learners and the parents to enable them to want to be part of the school environment and, in turn, invest their knowledge, skills, and resources back into the development of the school.