School governing bodies: the impact on school principals
Date
2014-05-19
Authors
Lebethe, Mosiwa Elias Kenneth
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Abstract
Fundamentally, the new school governance policy brought to life by the South African
Schools Act of 19iv, intended to transform and restructure education governance in
public schools, so that through full representation and participation of all role
players/stake-holders in school governance through their School Governing Bodies
(SGB), effective governance of schools could be attained and enhanced. What emerges
from the practice is that in exception of intended effects, this policy also yields unintended
effects. These unintended effects then, tend to counteract the basic objective of the new
school governance policy. Hence the aims of this study are two-fold: (a) to explore
critically the impact of SGB on school principals in the Klerksdorp/Potchefstroom region,
and to highlight the dynamics of relationships, and modus operand! of both SGB and
school principals, and what it takes to promote partnerships that will alternatively result in
effective school governance.
The critical exploration of the impact of SGB on school principals in the
Klerksdorp/Potchefstroom region was conducted through a survey method. Randomly
fifteen public secondary schools were selected from former education departments. Data
gathering techniques comprised of structured questionaires, unstructured, open-ended
interviews, observation of formal meetings and the study and analysis of relevant
documents. Analysis of data was carried out in terms of Bell's, (1993, p. 127) criterion:
What emerged out of this study was that the new policy yielded significant changes in
terms of:- (i) power relations, (ii) decision-making processes, (iii) levels of accountability
and (iv) responsibility, (v) general compliance with legal and constitutional requirements
but with little or no shift in mindset (paradigm), (vi) an increase in workload of principals
(especially in African schools) due to lack of capacity and finally (vii) intentional or
unintentional failure to embrace certain reforms. These outcomes constitute intended and
unintended effects.
On the basis of the above-mentioned outcomes one may conclude by agreeing with
'Thomas (1992, p. 127) assertion that: “The dilemma of school reform arises from the
relationship between school governors and professionals within schools”. Certainly
transformation of school governance in Souih Africa is likely to experience this same
dilemma. Secondly Mortimore and Mortimore (1991, p. 128) in turn alleged that: -
“Under both the 1986 Act and the Education Reform Act of 1988, School Governing
Bodies have increased powers and responsibilities, the exercise of which called, for a
rethinking of relationships between a head teacher and his/her S..G.B.” Like-wise the
S.A.S.A of 1996, empower SGBs through the transference of certain roles and
responsibilities to them. A review of relationships between school principals and S.G.B
within every public school in South Africa is a "must", if school principals and F G.B, aim
at attaining effective governance in their schools in line with the S.AS.A of 1996 and the
Constitution of the R. S. A 1996.
Key words1- school governing bodies; school principals; roles and responsibilities;
effective partnerships; governance policy; levels of accountability and responsibility;
relationships; review and reconceptualisation; power relations; stakeholders.