Restoration of a culture of teaching and learning in the secondary schools of the Eastern Cape Province

[摘要] Restoration of a culture of teaching and learning in the secondary schools is a verychallenging activity in the 1990s. This study attempts to investigate the culture of theschool in relation to a culture of teaching, learning and effective participation of allstakeholders in the schools. Research has revealed that similar investigations in to thistopic are already conducted throughout the country, but very little is done in the EasternCape Province.When one considers the incidents that are taking place in the secondary schools, namely,strikes, expulsion of top management or the principals by students and the high failurerate one may be tempted to view these as a shortcomings.This vision is not far-fetched, because it is commonly held that public schools,particularly, traditionally Black secondary schools are incapable of reforming themselves.This leads to a waste of resources, material and human, that the Department of Educationprovides to enhance quality education for students. The lack of quality education in someschools is causing concern to the parents. This is, therefore, an opportune time,particularly as the Eastern Cape secondary schools have recorded low pass rates in thematriculation examination for three consecutive years, 1996 to 1998. One may urgue thatthe low pass rate is attributed to uninvolvement of parents in the education of theirchildren. With reference to un involvement of parents, the researcher's experience of monitoringschool administration since 1990 has reinforced his conviction that the principals ofsecondary schools in the Eastern Cape have little knowledge of management andadministration in particular. Management and administration, i.e. parental involvement,joint decision-making, staff development, appointment of educators, and learner affairsare discussed in relation to the academic improvement in the schools. Concerningacademic improvements, the analysis of the results reveals areas that require attention, forexample, township schools need more attention than rural schools in terms of academicattainment. The recommendations given address systems and the formation thereof.

[发布机构] University of the Free State