The South African Schools Act (No. 84 of 1996) mandates the government to make financial allocations to needy schools. Section 21 of the Act read together with the National Norms and Standards for School Funding, stipulates that schools falling into certain categories (quintiles) receive given amount of funds per each and every learner. The funds are meant to help promote the equal and unparalleled access to education for all citizens as set-out in Section 29 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (1996). The study focused on investigating the manner in which two selected Section 21 primary schools are managing their allocated funds. The empirical study made use of a qualitative paradigm through which data was collected using interviews and focus group discussions to collect data from a sample comprising of thirty-five respondents. In terms of data analysis, the study used a qualitative analysis approach to interpret data into readable information for the various categories of audiences in the study. The findings of the study were, inter alia, that financial management skills are low in the schools, the amounts appropriated to schools needs to be revised upwards because schools need more funding for renovations and property development in schools, sanctions for those guilty of school financial misconduct are too soft and auditing of financial record is not being constantly done. The study recommends that the following be considered in order to help improve school financial management; the training of financial officers in school on how to best manage funds, imposition of stiffer penalties for offenders of financial misconduct and increase in allocation aimed at school property development.

The aim of this dissertation is to establish if the unmarried father has been placed in a better position regarding his rights to his child with the advent of the Children’s Act 38 of 2005. Prior to the commencement of the Children’s Act a number of different sets of legislation encompassed the unmarried father’s position. The unmarried father could not automatically acquire any rights to his child and had to prove that it would be in the child’s best interests to be allowed contact. The study was done on the basis of an analysis of the interaction of the unmarried father’s rights with the child’s rights, as well as the interaction of their rights with the Constitution. An analysis was also made of the manner in which the Bill of Rights in the Constitution should be applied with respect to the relationship between parents, their children and the state. From the study it was found that the unmarried father’s rights interlink closely with those of his child and the state. It was established that the Bill of Rights must be applied both horizontally and vertically and that the primary duty rests on the parents and only passes to the state if the parents are unable to perform their primary duties to the child. It was further established from the study that a limitation on the parent’s right to equality is only justified in terms of section 36 of the Constitution by the child’s overriding right to have meaningful relationships with both parents. A comparison was made with the relevant legislation of some African and non-African countries to establish if South Africa could learn something from their child law legislation. An analysis was also done of those sections of the Children’s Act that interact with section 21. From this analysis it was clear that many sections and phrases in the Children’s Act are unclear, undefined and open to interpretation. In this regard certain amendments to the Children’s Act are suggested in the study. It is submitted in this study that even though the Children’s Act codified legislation pertaining to children and the unmarried father may acquire parental responsibilities and rights, the improved position is superficial and subject to obstacles. The unmarried father needs to fullfil certain requirements in order to acquire his parental responsibilities and rights, as provided for in section 21(1). One of the main problems of this section is that it does not provide for any form of proof to be provided to the unmarried father to confirm or indicate that he has acquired responsibilities and rights. Even though the mother has these rights simply because of her biological link to the child, she is hardly ever placed in the position where her parental responsibilities and rights are questioned by third parties. This is not the position with the unmarried father. He is firstly placed in a disadvantaged position because he has no way to show that he is the holder of rights and secondly he is being discriminated against, simply because he is placed in this position. It was concluded in this study that despite the improved position of unmarried fathers, their position has only prima facie improved and they really should be placed in the same position as mothers. It is submitted that if the same rights mothers have are also afforded to unmarried fathers, it would be to the benefit of their children and their right to parental care and family life. / Dissertation (LLM)--University of Pretoria, 2013. / gm2014 / Private Law / unrestricted

Parents, together with the learners, are the customers and therefore major stakeholders of schools. The management of performance is vital for these stakeholders to ensure the most effective application of their resources. Therefore, this research on how SGBs and SMTs in Section 21 Schools apply performance management, at school level, to ensure effective management of the school and its resources was undertaken. Other key questions were: Which performance management tools do these schools use and what are the perceived benefits, gained by the application of performance management at school level? The research was supported by a detailed literature review covering education in South Africa, performance management and the available frameworks to evaluate the application of performance management and to gain a base for the analysis of the empirical data. Qualitative research was chosen as the preferred method of research since this was an exploratory study and qualitative research allowed key factors to emerge. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants in order to obtain insight into the application of performance management and participants‟ perspective of the benefits gained by applying performance management. Interviews were conducted with the principals and a parent representative of each of the SGBs at these schools. An interview guide was used to guide the interviews. The findings showed that all the schools under investigation made use of the Integrated Quality Management System. Participants however agreed that this system was not adequate and they needed to add their own performance management tools in order to maintain their current performance and position as prestigious schools. Although all participating schools were using some form of benchmarking, setting goals and targets, measuring learners‟ performance on all activities and measuring learners‟ behaviour, the findings also revealed that most of the schools did not implement a formal system covering all the dimensions of a school. It was evident from the findings that most of the participating schools benefitted from the application of performance management in the form of effective management and personnel development. Findings from the evaluation of the performance management systems revealed that the implementation of performance management systems is seldom carried through to the final stages and information is not always used to draft strategy in order to improve performance. It was concluded that SGBs and SMTs of the participating schools complied with some requirements indicated in literature to apply performance management systems. However most of the methods or systems are not fully implemented and there are many shortcomings. The findings suggested that the Integrated Quality Management System is reviewed by the Department of Basic Education. Furthermore, it also suggested that schools need to create formal procedures and policies in order to ensure the complete and effective application of performance management and establish a clear link between performance measures and the overall strategy of the school. The study also suggested that the schools‟ management have to design a performance management system, incorporating all the dimensions of their school and refrain from focusing only on incentives. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

Parents, together with the learners, are the customers and therefore major stakeholders of schools. The management of performance is vital for these stakeholders to ensure the most effective application of their resources. Therefore, this research on how SGBs and SMTs in Section 21 Schools apply performance management, at school level, to ensure effective management of the school and its resources was undertaken. Other key questions were: Which performance management tools do these schools use and what are the perceived benefits, gained by the application of performance management at school level? The research was supported by a detailed literature review covering education in South Africa, performance management and the available frameworks to evaluate the application of performance management and to gain a base for the analysis of the empirical data. Qualitative research was chosen as the preferred method of research since this was an exploratory study and qualitative research allowed key factors to emerge. Purposive sampling was used to select the participants in order to obtain insight into the application of performance management and participants‟ perspective of the benefits gained by applying performance management. Interviews were conducted with the principals and a parent representative of each of the SGBs at these schools. An interview guide was used to guide the interviews. The findings showed that all the schools under investigation made use of the Integrated Quality Management System. Participants however agreed that this system was not adequate and they needed to add their own performance management tools in order to maintain their current performance and position as prestigious schools. Although all participating schools were using some form of benchmarking, setting goals and targets, measuring learners‟ performance on all activities and measuring learners‟ behaviour, the findings also revealed that most of the schools did not implement a formal system covering all the dimensions of a school. It was evident from the findings that most of the participating schools benefitted from the application of performance management in the form of effective management and personnel development. Findings from the evaluation of the performance management systems revealed that the implementation of performance management systems is seldom carried through to the final stages and information is not always used to draft strategy in order to improve performance. It was concluded that SGBs and SMTs of the participating schools complied with some requirements indicated in literature to apply performance management systems. However most of the methods or systems are not fully implemented and there are many shortcomings. The findings suggested that the Integrated Quality Management System is reviewed by the Department of Basic Education. Furthermore, it also suggested that schools need to create formal procedures and policies in order to ensure the complete and effective application of performance management and establish a clear link between performance measures and the overall strategy of the school. The study also suggested that the schools‟ management have to design a performance management system, incorporating all the dimensions of their school and refrain from focusing only on incentives. / MCom (Management Accountancy), North-West University, Potchefstroom Campus, 2013

The awarding of section twenty-one status to schools is seen as part of the democratisation of education in South Africa. The aim of this study is to determine the impact that the allocation of section-twenty one powers has on the functioning of School Governing Bodies in rural section 21 schools. A case study involving three schools; a moving school, stationary school and a promenading school was conducted. The SGB members in these schools were interviewed to elicit information and get their viewpoints. Non-participatory observation was also conducted to add on the information gathered from the respondents. Other stakeholders involved in education were also interviewed, for instance the Chairperson of the National Association of School Governing Bodies and the Section 21 co-ordinator. It has emerged from the findings of the study that many SGBs are not coping with the allocated functions thrust upon them because of lack of skills and involvement. This results in the bulk of the SGB duties being performed by the principal or educators. / Dissertation (MEd (Education Management))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Education Management and Policy Studies / unrestricted

The need to transform education from its apartheid past resulted in the introduction of school governing bodies (SGBs). SGBs are democratic structures that allow for stakeholder participation in school matters in line with the demands of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa. Section 21 of the South African Schools Act (SASA) (84 of 1996) stipulates specific functions for SGBs. These functions are allocated only on the basis of significant growth in the performance of an SGB. SGBs must apply to be allocated these functions, after satisfying themselves first that they can self–manage their school, and after the MEC has certified the said performance. Schools in the Mpumalanga province were all allocated these functions simultaneously without applying for them. One of the functions that SGBs perform is the establishment and administration of school funds. Because schools are state institutions, SGBs are expected by law to be accountable for the funds they manage. They must account to all stakeholders who contribute to the school fund. To be able to administer the funds, as well as to give proper accountability thereof, SGBs need to have particular financial management and accounting skills. The aim of this study was to investigate the extent to which SGBs are able to account to stakeholders for the school funds they manage. The study further investigated whether the kind of accountability given to parents and the state is “hard” or “soft”. A case study involving three schools: a rural school, a semi-urban school and an urban school, was conducted. SGB members of these schools and officials from the department of education were interviewed for information and also to solicit their opinion on current financial accountability processes. An analysis of official SGB documents was also conducted to strengthen the information gathered through interviews. It has emerged from the findings of the study that some SGBs in Mpumalanga are still experiencing difficulties in following the correct procedures in giving a financial account to parents and the state. There is an indication from the study that capacity to handle finances is still a big challenge for schools that are not in the rich quintile. / Dissertation (MEd (Education Management))--University of Pretoria, 2007. / Education Management and Policy Studies / MEd / unrestricted

Self-management is a relatively new concept in South Africa. The transformation of education after 1994 resulted in the promulgation of the South African Schools Act (SASA) 84 of 1996, which started the process of decentralisation of education. The SASA mandates the school governing bodies (SGBs) to play an active role in decision making in schools. The justification for the self-management of schools is that it promotes effectiveness and efficiency in schools. The aim of the study was to investigate the challenges that are faced and the benefits/opportunities that exist for self-managing schools. The secondary aim of the study was to investigate how self-managing schools could be supported so that they become more efficient and effective. This study focuses on 2 ex-DET self-managing schools in Gauteng. The findings reveal that teamwork amongst educators, parents and communities is essential for self-managing schools to be effective and efficient. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

Self-management is a relatively new concept in South Africa. The transformation of education after 1994 resulted in the promulgation of the South African Schools Act (SASA) 84 of 1996, which started the process of decentralisation of education. The SASA mandates the school governing bodies (SGBs) to play an active role in decision making in schools. The justification for the self-management of schools is that it promotes effectiveness and efficiency in schools. The aim of the study was to investigate the challenges that are faced and the benefits/opportunities that exist for self-managing schools. The secondary aim of the study was to investigate how self-managing schools could be supported so that they become more efficient and effective. This study focuses on 2 ex-DET self-managing schools in Gauteng. The findings reveal that teamwork amongst educators, parents and communities is essential for self-managing schools to be effective and efficient. / Educational Studies / M.Ed. (Education Management)

DEd (Educational Management) / The purpose of this study was to investigate the leadership role of principals in creating a culture of teaching and learning in rural public schools of Mopani District, Limpopo Province. The performance of learners below the expected standards in the National Senior Certificate (NSC) examinations, despite, massive resources that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) is providing annually to schools to improve quality of teaching and learning, has raised public concern. When seeking answers to these schools’ dysfunctionality, focus, however, was laid on the leadership role of school principals in some rural public schools of Mopani District, Limpopo Province. The study was guided by Hersey and Blanchard Situational Leadership theory, complemented by Maslow’s Hierarchy of needs. This study was conceptualised within the interpretive paradigm, subsumed under a qualitative research approach. A qualitative case study was used with four rural public high schools. A total of sixteen participants were purposefully selected, made up of four school principals, four deputy principals and eight Heads of Departments (HoDs). Research data were gathered through individual interviews, observations and documents analysis. Data from interviews were thematically analysed, and data from documents and observations were analysed descriptively in words. Findings from interviews revealed that school principals do not monitor and support curriculum implementation. In supporting the findings from interviews, the documents analysed revealed the absence of an administered class-visits monitoring-tool. Data from the observations revealed that schools were without vision and mission statements and had inadequate resources. The study recommended principals to monitor and support curriculum implementation, and develop staff professionally. Suggestions for further study were provided. A proposed model of Action-Based COTL was developed to assist school principals in creating a COTL in schools. / NRF