Thesis (Phd. (Education Management )) - Central University of Technology, Free State, 2014 / The dawn of democracy in South Africa resulted in an emphasis on the involvement and participation of stakeholders in decision-making processes. At public higher education institutions, involvement and participation were guaranteed by the enactment of the Higher Education Act 101 of 1997. This Act provides that co-operative governance should be practiced in the governance of public higher education institutions. Students are stakeholders in higher education institutions. This means that according to the Act, students ought to be represented in the governance of public higher education institutions. The representation of students in university governance became a new phenomenon in the democratic South Africa. This thesis explored the involvement and participation of student representative councils in the co-operative governance of South African higher education institutions. It evaluated the role and effect of SRCs in the co-operative governance of public higher education institutions in South Africa. Following the merging of these institutions, universities have multi campuses, all of which need to be represented in the universities Managements through SRCs. This study employed the QUAN-Qual (explanatory) mixed methods design which included the use of a questionnaire and in-depth, open-ended, semi-structured interviews. The sample for the study was made up of hundred and fifty-three respondents and nine interviewees from three types of South African higher education institutions. The quantitative part of this study investigated the nexus between the involvement and participation of SRCs in co-operative governance at public higher education institutions. The correlation between SRCs’ perception of participation and co-operative governance was also examined. The study also explored the SRCs’ perception of the implementation of co-operative governance at different universities types. The qualitative part of the study investigated perception of the nature of co-operative governance the SRCs at different universities. It also examined perceptions regarding whether participatory democracy was practiced at universities, v challenges experienced in the governance of universities and what the SRCs thought should be done to address those challenges. The study found that SRC members feel that they are both involved and also participate in the governance of public higher education institutions in South Africa. This was further enhanced by research hypotheses that revealed that there is a statistically significant relationship between the SRCs’ perception of their involvement and participation in university governance and their perception of the implementation of co-operative governance in the South African higher education institutions. Although SRC members feel that they are involved and that they participate in co-operative governance, interviews have revealed that they experience the following problems:  SRC members have annual budget deficits at their universities and as a result, they fail to fulfill their mandates by the student body.  SRCs find it difficult to deal with the challenges pertaining to multi-campus set-ups in their institutions.  The existence of student political structures contributes to ideological differences amongst SRC members. This affects effective student governance at universities.  The capacity building of SRC members at higher education institutions is not adequately addressed by managements of these institutions. The researcher recommends that it is important that HEIs adhere to the HE Act 101 of 1997, as amended. Adherence to the Act will ensure that there is compliance with the law and will minimise the chances for HEIs to be placed under administration. The managements of universities and SRCs need to co-operate in order to ensure that co-operative governance in HEIs is effectively implemented. Workshops and meetings are held at universities between SRCs and managements regarding issues of co-operative governance. SRCs need to involve themselves in national and international student activities in order for them to gain knowledge and skills about student governance. The researcher designed a multi-campus student governance model that will effectively deal with the challenges mentioned above.

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Since the democratic election in 1994 and the publishing of the SA Schools Act on the 16th of November 1996 the South African education system has undergone a fundamental transformation. Pupils are regarded as a specific interest group that stands in a partnership relationship with other interest groups (stakeholders) in the school. The principle of partnership advocated by the South African Schools Act invites pupils to partake in and share responsibility for the governance, organising and funding of public schools. To participate in school management pupils have to be part of participative structures. Two such structures for pupil participation and representation exist in South African schools, namely SRC's and the governing body of the school. The aim of this research is to develop a model for pupil participation in the management of schools and specific attention was given to participative management of pupils on the SRC and governing body of the school. In order to operationalize the above mentioned aim an analysis of the nature of participative management by pupils was done on the basis of theoretical approaches to participative management. Participative management by pupils can only be successful if the following participative management techniques namely pupil participation, pupil empowerment, influence. participative decision-making, delegation, democracy, decentralization, committees and meetings are interwoven with the participative management process. Pupil participation can also be successful if the advantages of such participation is realised by all school interest groups. The structure and functioning of pupil participation in the management activities of the school is reviewed firstly by giving attention to the practices of pupil participation in the education systems of a few international countries. This is done by analizing the structure of each education system, the statutory directives for pupil participation and the structures for pupil participation in these education systems. Secondly the managerial involvement of pupils in the management activities of SRC's and the governing bodies of schools was reviewed, while certain lacunas that resulted from the lack of information were addressed by empirical research. As a result of the preceding criteria a model for pupil participation in school management was developed and certain findings and recommendations were derived from it. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2000

Since the democratic election in 1994 and the publishing of the SA Schools Act on the 16th of November 1996 the South African education system has undergone a fundamental transformation. Pupils are regarded as a specific interest group that stands in a partnership relationship with other interest groups (stakeholders) in the school. The principle of partnership advocated by the South African Schools Act invites pupils to partake in and share responsibility for the governance, organising and funding of public schools. To participate in school management pupils have to be part of participative structures. Two such structures for pupil participation and representation exist in South African schools, namely SRC's and the governing body of the school. The aim of this research is to develop a model for pupil participation in the management of schools and specific attention was given to participative management of pupils on the SRC and governing body of the school. In order to operationalize the above mentioned aim an analysis of the nature of participative management by pupils was done on the basis of theoretical approaches to participative management. Participative management by pupils can only be successful if the following participative management techniques namely pupil participation, pupil empowerment, influence. participative decision-making, delegation, democracy, decentralization, committees and meetings are interwoven with the participative management process. Pupil participation can also be successful if the advantages of such participation is realised by all school interest groups. The structure and functioning of pupil participation in the management activities of the school is reviewed firstly by giving attention to the practices of pupil participation in the education systems of a few international countries. This is done by analizing the structure of each education system, the statutory directives for pupil participation and the structures for pupil participation in these education systems. Secondly the managerial involvement of pupils in the management activities of SRC's and the governing bodies of schools was reviewed, while certain lacunas that resulted from the lack of information were addressed by empirical research. As a result of the preceding criteria a model for pupil participation in school management was developed and certain findings and recommendations were derived from it. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education, 2000