Die rol van skoolbeheerliggame in die aanbeveling van prinsipale aanstellings : uitdagings vir plattelandse skole

[摘要] ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The democratic elections in South Africa in 1994 were followed by far-reaching changes. Legislation was changed to entrench the democratic principles of the young democracy and to involve South African communities in decision-making. For example, the South African Schools Act (84 of 1996) was introduced to promote democracy and to transform society. It merged the different pre-1994 education departments, to build an education system on a non-discriminatory basis, to protect the education rights of learners and to give parents more power in school governance. The introduction of school governing bodies with certain powers and responsibilities was a significant step towards the decentralisation of power in the South African school system.The aim of the study was to explore the role of school governing bodies in recommending candidates for appointment as school principals and to establish what challenges they experienced. A qualitative research design was used to answer the research question. Personal interviews were held with eight governing body members of two schools and a departmental official. Data was generated by semi-structured questions, enabling participants to share their experiences and perceptions of the recommendation process. The data was subsequently analysed and findings stated.The literature review in Chapter 2 revealed huge challenges for parents on governing bodies, especially in previously disadvantaged schools, with parents‟ illiteracy as a key factor. The school governing bodies that participated in the study were heavily dependent on the guidance of the departmental official. They moreover admitted that they were unable to carry out the recommendation process without the official‟s guidance. Secondly, the research findings showed that the governing body members had little knowledge of education policies and were inadequately trained.This study attempted to gain a deeper understanding of the school governing bodies‟ perspectives of their own abilities. Despite the challenges they experienced, they believed that they were able to fulfil their duties and that they did not need any schooling to serve on the school governing body. The results indicate that the literacy levels of members of school governing bodies nevertheless do play a role in their ability to carry out their duties and activities and that more intensive training is needed to enhance their capacity.

[发布机构] Stellenbosch University