The role of the school governing bodies in Lesotho: A case study of four high schools

[摘要] The involvement and active participation o f stakeholders in school governance through afair representation creates a sense o f accountability, ownership and belonging to a school.This study examined and assessed the roles and functions played by the SchoolGoverning Bodies (SGBs) in Lesotho Secondary and high schools. In doing this, thestudy investigates how the roles and functions are put into practice and find out thestakeholders perceptions about the SGBs.A case study of four high schools was carried out. To capture the stakeholders’perception about the SGBs, the study used semi-structured interviews and unstructuredobservations. The opinions were sought from the following stakeholders; parents,teachers, chiefs, proprietor’s, nominees, district education officers (DEOs) and DistrictResource Teachers(DRTs). In addition, this study was informed by local andinternational literature on school governance.The study reveals that even though tha Lesotho policy on school governance wasestablished within a short time without adequate preparations, the structure is highlysupported by the respondents. However the members o f SGBs need regular training forthe duties they are expected to perform and to know the powers they have. The findingsalso indicate that, if there are strong bonds and partnerships between the members ofSGBs, teachers, students and the community at large, there will be cooperation andcommitment. The study recommends that learners should be included in the SGB becausethey are future leaders. If you do not take the children forward, the future will remain inthe past.

[发布机构] University of the Witwatersrand