School Governing Bodies Research Articles

Determinants of effective environmental education policy in South African schools

In recent years, environmental issues have dominated the global conversation. This has necessitated the inclusion of environmental content in educational curricula. The effectiveness and potency of educational initiatives are heavily reliant on their design. As a result, the purpose of this empirical study is to identify the elements that determine the efficacy of environmental education policy. The study's philosophical perspective was founded on policy cycle theory. A mixed-methods approach was used in the study. The study used a pragmatist paradigm and triangulation strategy to explore the opinion of 175 teachers and personal experience of 10 principals from Buffalo City Metro Education District. Descriptive statistics was used to harness quantitative data. Implementation of Environmental Education Questionnaire (IEEPQ), and semi-structured interview were used to collect data from 185 respondents. The findings revealed, amongst other things, that there is no practical and structured policy design for Environmental Education (EE) in schools, that few schools have school-level environmental education policies supported by the School Governing Body (SGB), and that teachers and principals do not understand the policy objective of environmental education as stated in the Curriculum Assessment Policy Statements (CAPS) document due to its obscurity. The study concludes that the phenomenal aspects that determine good environmental education policies are seldom present in school curricula. It was suggested that the broad goal of environmental education in the CAPS document be re-aligned to specifics rather than generality, and the Department of Basic Education should establish an environmental education directorate with a defined responsibility to develop environmental education policy documents, assess, and monitor their implementation.

Providing Greater Clarity on the Meaning of Basic Education [Discussion of Moko V Acting Principal, Malusi Secondary School 2021 3 SA 323 (CC)

Section 29(1)(a) of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996 provides everyone with the right to a basic education. However, the exact meaning of a “basic education” as protected in this section has been rather uncertain as it is not defined in the Constitution or any legislative document. In Governing Body of the Juma Musjid Primary School v Essay 2011 8 BCLR 761 (CC), the Constitutional Court accepted that basic education includes, at a minimum, schooling from grades 1 to 9. In AB v Pridwin Preparatory School 2020 5 SA 327 (CC), Nicholls JA held that an educational institution which does not offer secondary or tertiary education, provides those attending the institution with a basic education. Several policy documents refer to basic education as the General Education and Training phase of schooling, which consists of schooling from grades 1 to 9. Given the uncertainty surrounding the exact ambit of a basic education, both in case law and legislation, the Constitutional Court in Moko v Acting Principal of Malusi Secondary School 2021 3 SA 323 (CC) had to answer the question “where does basic education end and further education begin?” The court’s decision provides clarity on the meaning of a basic education as protected in section 29(1)(a). This decision is to be welcomed given the importance of the right as a direct and unqualified right, and for its transformative potential. However, there is now a misalignment between the understanding of a basic education protected in section 29(1)(a) and several policy documents issued by the Department of Basic Education. This misalignment may lead to further confusion regarding the meaning of the right to a basic education and potentially negatively impact the realisation or fulfilment of the right. This note will consider the court’s decision, particularly in relation to its finding to the question posed above.

"They would not like it if men taught in the foundation phase": SGBs' perceptions of the employment of male FP teachers

Efforts to recruit and retain men in the Foundation Phase (FP) teaching and learning have been made all over the world. In South Africa, School Governing Bodies (SGBs) are tasked with the responsibility of diversifying schooling by recommending to the Department of Basic Education (DBE) the employment of teachers in all educational phases. Two and a half decades after the dawn of democracy in South Africa, the teaching of children in the early years is still dominated by women. This study explores how SGBs in the Eastern Cape province of South Africa approach the employment of male teachers in FP. Using a qualitative research approach, we used a semi-structured focus group discussion to generate data with five SGB parent-component members. We analysed the data thematically and found that SGBs' employment of male FP teachers is based on societal constructions of gender over employment policy guidelines. The SGB members showed a lack of policy understanding and at times misinterpreted the policies. These findings have implications for education policymakers and teacher training institutions in facilitating the smooth incorporation of males into FP teaching.

Management versus Governance Power Contests Facing Principals in Schools: Power Relations

The focus of the article is about issues that secondary schools face in terms of the responsibilities of principals and school governing bodies (SGBs) in terms of dispersed leadership rather than one-man role-based leadership. Methods: The study investigates issues of schools surrounding distributed leadership practices using data from research on the connection between the principal and school governing bodies. This research used qualitative and quantitative data collected from secondary school administrators, SGB members, and teachers as part of a design research project. Implications: According to the findings, concentrating on distributed leadership methods may assist overcome some of the drawbacks of providing feedback to a single leader. Findings: In Gauteng secondary schools, opposing ideas and expectations predominate. Where SGBs and principals struggle against one another, ambiguous rules are found. Some principals impose terms on SGBs, while SGBs impose terms on principals. Dysfunctional schools are caused by weak governance and management. In terms of financial problems, there is a lack of transparency in schools. Principals contribute to school problems by refusing or failing to accept their ineptness. They continue to run schools inefficiently; they do not fully engage teachers in school management; they mistreat parents; they impose terms on SGBs; they contribute to dysfunctional schools; school resources are embezzled for purposes not related to the running of schools, and they mix up their work with that of the SGBs. Principals and SGBs should be made aware that cooperation, rather than competition, may be more effective in reducing power struggles in schools.

The Experiences of Members of the School Governing Bodies in Executing their Duties during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

The Experiences of Members of the School Governing Bodies in Executing their Duties during the COVID-19 Pandemic Lockdown

Admission policies as enablers and disablers of children’s rights to basic education: Stakeholders’ perceptions

In this article we report on a qualitative study done in Pretoria, South Africa, in which we investigated the experiences of 2 representatives of the Gauteng Department of Education (GDE); School Governing Body (SGB) spokespersons from 4 schools located in the Gauteng province, 2 representatives of the Federation of SGBs, 4 principals from 4 schools, and 4 parents from 4 schools regarding public primary schools’ admission policies and practices as enablers or disablers of children’s rights to basic education. Using structured, open-ended interviews, qualitative data were generated to explore the experiences of the participants on the public primary schools’ admission policies and practices as enablers or disablers of a right to basic education. We argue that the implementation of school admission policies as enabler to access to basic education must be based on a system of rights and corresponding obligations established by the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996, and the various legislative and policy frameworks. The findings of the study reveal that the learner admission system in South African public schools remains problematic, which in turn aids as a disabler of children’s right to basic education.

Covid-19 Vaccine and Scholastic Performance of Learners: A Perspective of Internal Stakeholders

This paper interrogates the relationship between the availability of the Covid-19 vaccine and the impressive learner results in secondary schools. The paper resulted from diverse discourses, some of which emphasize that the prevalence of Covid-19 in the world has dampened schools' learning moods to the level of flooring learner performance. This paper is conceptual and empirical within the qualitative research paradigm. The question guiding this paper is: to what extent could secondary schools produce inspiring learner results through revelatory information on the availability of vaccination for Covid-19 sufferers? Narrative inquiry and interviewing techniques were used to collect data. Out of the population of 15 secondary schools in one of the circuits in Sekhukhune district in Limpopo Province, South Africa, 3 were conveniently sampled. In each of the 3 sampled secondary schools, only Deputy Chairpersons of the School Governing Bodies and Chairpersons of the Representative Council of Learners became research participants. Findings revealed that underrating the revelatory information of vaccine availability for Covid-19 sufferers was costly for schools. Secondly, failure to consolidate learner solidarity against Covid-19 to improve the quality of schooling life was a problem. Thirdly, the inability by schools to prevent passive teaching and learning through the utilization of the Covid-19 threat. Fourthly, the inability by secondary schools to apply Covid-19 threat to encourage overachievement by learners. Fifthly, inability by schools to push back the frontiers of mediocre performance by applying Covid-19 as a rallying point. Lastly, schools failed to utilize the prevalence of Covid-19 to keep pupils psychologically and developmentally ready for lessons. The researcher recommends applying the ebullient classroom environments to keep teaching and learning memorable, theatrical, and therapeutic, despite the prevalence of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Accountability in the financial management practices of school principals

PurposeThe purpose of this article is to investigate the effectiveness of accountability mechanisms employed in financial management practices of school principals in the Eastern Cape Provincial Department of Education. The strengths and weaknesses of the systems and mechanisms of the processes to hold school principals accountable are explored in detail in this study. The argument that this article seeks to advance is that accountability of the school principal to the school governing body (SGB) does not yield the best results in terms of efficiency. It creates a loose arrangement in terms of which the school principal takes part in financial mismanagement in schools.Design/methodology/approachData collection was made through semi-structured interviews whose purpose was to draw experiences from SGBs, particularly the finance committees who are in fact the sub-committees of the SGBs; as well as literature review. The finance committee is made up of the chairperson of the SGB, the secretary of the SGB, the treasurer of the SGB, and the financial officer who is a clerk responsible for the keeping and the management of financial records of the school. The process started with semi-structured interviews, then transcribing, coding, developing themes, making meaning of the themes and subsequently developing a principle.FindingsMechanisms employed by schools and the Department of Education to hold principals accountable for their financial management practices fail to make them fully accountable and effectively face the consequences of acts on their part that are illegal and unlawful. The mechanisms need a great deal of overhauling. The argument that this article seeks to advance is that this account of the school principal to the SGB does not yield the best results in terms of efficiency. It creates a loose arrangement in terms of which the school principal easily gets away with a crime when financial mismanagement occurs in the school.Research limitations/implicationsParticipants could possibly not be comfortable and willing, to tell the truth as it is. Participants might have the fear that telling the truth could land them in trouble with the law. Whilst participants were assured by the researchers of their anonymity and the confidentiality of the information given by them, there was no guarantee that the fear of being exposed would subdue completely. There was also a possibility that some participants would not be willing to say the truth as it is for fear of being victimised by other participants for exposing the status quo in their schools.Practical implicationsThe findings and recommendations from this study may be used by the Department of Basic Education as a source of information for policymakers and stakeholders to understand the effectiveness of their mechanisms to ensure the accountability of school principals on issues of financial management. On the basis of this study, policymakers will then be able to revisit their policies for the purpose of strengthening them. The principal is therefore responsible for the day-to-day administration and management of school funds because of this mandatory delegation. However, when things go wrong, it is the SGB that is held liable.Social implicationsSchool principals hold dual accountability in terms of which they are accountable to the employer only in so far as their professional responsibilities are concerned on financial management in the first instance. They are by no means accounting officers in schools. In the second instance, they are fully accountable to the SGB for issues relating to financial management. Section 16A of SASA lists the functions and responsibilities for which the principal as an employee of the Department of Basic Education, and in his official capacity as contemplated in Sections 23(1) and 24(1) (j) of the same Act, is accountable to the head of department (HOD).Originality/valueThe study provides a theoretical and empirical contribution to the existing literature on the effectiveness of the mechanisms employed to ensure the accountability of school principals in their financial management practices in schools. It offers practical recommendations putting in place mechanisms that effectively hold school principals wholly accountable for their financial management practices in schools. Most of the time, it is easy for the principal to get away with a crime even in instances where he or she is called upon to account for alleged financial mismanagement.

The paradox of the reopening of schools under the lockdown – An exposure of the continued inequalities within the South African educational sector: A theological decolonial view

The arrival of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) in South Africa was responded to by a lockdown, which barred people from moving out of their homes unless for serious and stipulated reasons by government. Amongst other things, one of the most remarkable repercussions of the lockdown was the closing of the educational system. The call to reopen the public schools by the Minister of Basic Education after almost 2 months brought contestations from different sects of life, for instance, labour unions, parents and School Governing Body (SGB) representatives. Mistrust and suspicions developed amongst parents, SGB’s unions and the Department of Basic Education as a result. This has seen certain political parties and unions lodging court cases against the reopening decision. This was likely to be a protracted battle as the issue is between life and education. The aim of this research is to discover if these contestations are for the good of the school children or if there is another underlying issue. Contribution: This article unveils the different contestations which are important for the South Africans regarding the shaping of the future through educational weapon. The contestations help open our eyes and make awareness as to where our democracy has done well and where it is still lacking.

FACTORS CONTRIBUTING TO POOR LEARNER PERFORMANCE IN MATHEMATICS: A CASE OF SELECTED SCHOOLS IN MPUMALANGA PROVINCE, SOUTH AFRICA

Learners’ mathematics performance globally and locally has been a major concern. Learners are generally not performing well in mathematics. This is also true of learners in Kwagga West Circuit, Nkangala district in Mpumalanga province of South Africa. Performing badly in the subject negatively affects them, preventing them from progressing to the next grades. This research employed a qualitative case study design with observation and semi-structured interviews with a sample of three school management team (SMT) members, six teachers, nine learners, and three parent component members of the school governing body (SGB) to determine factors affecting learner performance in mathematics in the senior phase. The results showed that numerous factors influenced learners’ confidence and performance. The factors found to have an impact on mathematics performance were learner related, such as ill-discipline, language barriers and learner attitudes. Teachers’ factors included lack of pedagogical content knowledge and skill, and lack of appropriate professional training. Finally, the study offers suggestions for further research and recommendations regarding learners, teachers, schools, school management teams, the parents, as well as for the national education ministry. Keywords: poor performance, senior phase, qualitative research, case study design

The Knowledge Landscape of School Disciplinary Committees on Disciplinary Policies in Mopani Education district, Limpopo Province, South Africa

Despite the clarity of the South African Schools Act (SASA) 84 of 1996 on the need to craft and implement a learners’ Code of Conduct by school governing bodies (SGBs), there seems to be a gap between the espoused learner disciplinary policies and practice at schools. Using the case study research design, the knowledge scope on education policies by the school disciplinary committees (SDCs) was examined at two secondary schools in a predominantly rural South African district. The study employed a qualitative approach to gather data from purposefully selected informants using focus group and face-to-face interviews. The study sample was composed of 35 participants who were school disciplinary policy duty bearers, comprising 10 SGBs, 10 school management teams (SMTs) and 10 SDC members, as well as five class teachers. The main findings from the thematically analysed narrative data pointed to inadequate knowledge of policies by most SDC committee members. In addition, although the two schools had learners’ codes of conduct that were aligned to SASA, the SDCs were loosely adhering to the provisions of the disciplinary policies in their operations. The gap between the espoused policy and policy in action was found to be due to the policy duty bearers’ inadequate knowledge of the national policy that governs school discipline. This calls for the Department of Basic Education (DBE) to offer policy enhancement workshops for SDCs and to employ a policy monitoring instrument on the functioning of SCDs.

The Effectiveness of Financial Management Strategies in Public Primary Schools in the South Africa

This paper reports a sequential mixed methods study on the effectiveness of financial management strategies in achieving organisational success and stability in public primary schools in Dwarsloop Circuit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa. The study involved six schools and a sample of 78 participants, comprising 72 School Governing Body (SGB) members and six primary school managers. The study shows that the South African Schools Act, 1996 and the Public Finance Management Act, 1999, are key legislation used to govern and administer the finances of public schools in South Africa. It was ascertained that SGB members with a background in teaching, had a better understanding of the South African Schools Act, compared to SGB members who were parents without teaching experience. The research further shows that most schools in the Dwarsloop Circuit do not use strict internal controls nor is there clear and consistent segregation of duties as key aspects of financial management. It is recommended that all SGB members undergo mandatory training required to execute their duties effectively. The Department of Education in conjunction with the relevant agencies, should ensure an annual financial audit is conducted of all schools in the Dwarsloop Circuit of Mpumalanga Province.

Linguistic challenges faced by Grade 7 Setswana learners when writing Science examinations in English

The paper investigates the linguistic challenges faced by Setswana-speaking Grade 7 learners when writing Science examinations in English. In South African schools, non-mother tongue speakers of English learners are only introduced to English as a language of learning and teaching in Grade 4, which creates problems for these learners because English is foreign to them. The purpose of conducting this research was to help policymakers meet the linguistic needs of non-native English speakers, make curriculum development specialists aware of the linguistic challenges faced by non-native speakers of English and help readers gain a better understanding of why some teachers prefer to use indigenous languages when they teach in English. The participants comprised four purposively selected Grade 7 Natural Science teachers, two school governing bodies (SGBs) and Grade 7 learners from two primary schools in Hammanskraal, Gauteng. Data gathered indicated that Setswana-speaking learners made basic errors related to spelling, sentence construction, grammar, incomplete sentences, mixed languages, using words that do not exist, tenses and understanding instructions. As a result, SGBs should consider these linguistic challenges when they draft language policies for rural and township schools.

Exploring the Patterns of Values Integration in Denominational School Discipline

In line with social justice education, this paper attempts to demystify the pattern of values integration in denominational school discipline by focusing on ways through which values are integrated and the sorts of values emphasized in the denominational school. The researchers evaluated secondary documents such as archival materials, dissertations and school reports with a view of identifying forms of values integration and the types of values widely used in primary and secondary schools of Kampala district. Using a grounded theory approach, it was found out that the roles of School Governing Bodies, the need to promote denominational school interests, the educators role, governments role and the socialization process are some of the ways in which values are imparted. The paper also examines that different values are emphasized by different denominations depending on the divergence of interests and founding philosophies. The paper concludes that in order to build positive discipline, citizenship and social justice education; values integration should be a collective educational responsibility. More so, school stakeholders should harmonize values for purpose of promoting universal education and not their personalized interests at the expense of the learner and the society that is going to take on that learner.

A Critique of the Democratic Functionality of the School Disciplinary Committee Structures within a South African Rural Setting

The South Africans Schools Act mandates institutional policy duty bearers such as the school governing bodies (SGBs) and school disciplinary committees (SDCs) through which education stakeholders such as school principals, teachers, parents and learners to democratically formulate and implement school policies. The effectiveness of these bodies in carrying out their responsibilities in most cases is left to speculation. Based on a case study of high schools in a rural district setting in South Africa, this paper reports on the extent to which SDCs are democratically constituted and function in conducting their responsibilities. A qualitative approach was employed to gather data from a purposeful sample of 53 participants at two secondary schools that comprised 10 SGB members, 10 school management team (SMT) members, 9 SDC members, 10 Representative Council of Learners (RCL), 4 class teachers and 10 previously disciplined learners (PDLs). Focus group and individual interviews were the primary data gathering instruments but were complemented by document analysis to cross-check participants’ narratives where necessary. Results indicated that the discharge of the SDC responsibilities was largely undemocratic in both composition and functioning, and therefore unjust in disciplining learners who acted outside school rules. On the basis of our findings, we recommend that the policy duty bearers in school institutional management structures such as the SMT, SGB, RCL and SDC should first be inducted on school policies, roles and responsibilities on assumption of duty.
 
 Received: 28 June 2020 / Accepted: 18 November 2020 / Published: 17 January 2021

Recruiting Competent Teachers in South Africa for a Sustainable Future: The Role of School Governing Bodies

Given the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 2030 agenda, several countries have introduced various initiatives and reforms towards attracting and recruiting competent teachers to empower the next generation so that they can face global challenges and transform and sustain the development of society through education that is inclusive, equitable, of quality, and life-long. This study is, therefore, concerned with the role of school governing bodies to recruit competent teachers for a sustainable future. The study is grounded within the interpretative paradigm using a case study approach for data collection from a small sample consisting of ten school governing Bodies (SGBs) in uMkhanyakude District. The findings from this study establish that SGB members perform supervisory duties, prepare interviews, and conduct marking and selection as well as recommending staff. However, members of the SGB were not aware of the qualities required of competent teachers for a sustainable future. Furthermore, the study indicated that external influences and a shortage of qualified teachers are the major challenges encountered by members of SGBs in the process of recruiting competent teachers. The study concludes that the role of SGBs is significant and should not be downplayed if sustainable education that can transform our world is to become a reality.

Governance collaboration in schools: the perceptions of principals, parents and educators in rural South Africa

The South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 clearly articulates the roles of School Governing Bodies (SGBs). The SGBs consist of the principal as an ex-officio member, teachers, parents and learners, ...

Critical path to a sustainable future of managing no-fee secondary schools in the Limpopo Province

The disparity in the socio-economic status of South Africa has forced the government to adopt a funding policy for public secondary schools. The policy is based on funding schools considered to be poor because they are in poverty-stricken communities. Most of these schools lack infrastructure, and physical and financial resources to be run successfully, while the former Model C schools have adequate resources. In this article I advocate for equitable funding for all learners, and the role played by the school governing body (SGB) in the management of funds is also identified. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 6 members of the SGB from 2 secondary schools in the Vhembe district of the Limpopo province, South Africa. The participants who were purposefully sampled were 2 SGB chairpersons, 2 treasurers and 2 secretaries. The findings suggest that the SGBs were aware of their financial management roles but did not execute their roles effectively. They lacked the knowledge and skills to perform their roles. The SGBs require mandatory training from the Department of Education. It is also suggested that a qualified financial management expert is included in the membership of every SGB.

The resourcefulness of school governing bodies in fundraising: Implications for the provision of quality education

With the promulgation of the South African Schools Act of 1996, public education in South Africa was decentralised and communities were made responsible for school governance. This placed the responsibility on school governing bodies (SGBs) to take all measures within their means to supplement state funding for the acquisition of adequate human and physical resources. In this article we explore various fundraising initiatives that will increase the coffers of public schools. Funds provided by donors and sponsors should allow SGBs the discretionary powers to appropriate funds that will promote effective teaching and learning in schools. The perceptions and experiences of principals and SGBs on the management of funds were investigated by means of a qualitative multiple case study. Findings reveal that SGBs have to take an entrepreneurial stance towards supplementing funds provided by the state. In addition, there are serious challenges surrounding school fees such as bad debt and fee exemptions, and this necessitates SGBs to find other sources of revenue. Thus, based on best business practice, SGBs should be given autonomy and take accountability for the management of private funding within the legal framework of the South African Schools Act.

The effective and efficient management of school fees: Implications for the provision of quality education

The Amended National Norms and Standards for School Funding (ANNSSF) policy of 2006 introduced a funding model to address equity in public schooling. Schools are ranked into one of five quintiles of which quintile 1 represents the poorest schools and quintile 5 the most affluent. The ANNSSF policy proposes that the state provide more funding for recurrent resources to poorer schools (quintiles 1, 2 and 3) than to quintiles 4 and 5 schools. Since affluent schools receive reduced state funding, school governing bodies (SGBs) are obliged to supplement state funding if they wish to continue providing quality education and improving learner achievement. Although intensive fundraising initiatives and sponsorships are viable solutions, the declining South African economy has prompted corporates to apply austerity measures such as limiting sponsorships to schools. Thus, SGBs are compelled to charge parents school fees as a means of supplementing state subsidies. In the study reported on here, qualitative research with an interpretivist paradigm to explore how SGBs manage school fees to sustain the provision of quality education was used. The findings reveal that, if school fees are effectively and efficiently managed, SGBs can continue employing additional staff above the post provisioning norms, reduce class sizes and procure state-of-the-art resources, resulting in high learner achievement.