Thesis (MPhil)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The Republic of South Africa has a population made up of different racial groups. The differences are far reaching. There are differences with regard to the geographic location, wealth, educational levels and quality etc. amongst the racial groups. This has been the case for many years. A new democratic government came into being in South Africa in 1994. The advent of the democratic rule brought along a number of changes. The big change has been the observed concerted effort by the government to improve on the quality of life of the lot of the previously disadvantaged people of South Africa. This effort is observable in almost all spheres of government. One of the areas where such attempts are being made is in education. Several programmes have been put in place to improve the educational level and quality of the majority of the previously disadvantaged people. Much money, effort, time and energy are put into these programmes. The main question is whether these programmes are yielding the results that were intended. In this study, I tried to evaluate the impact of one such programme. I chose the TOPS school management programme as an example of these programmes. The programme was operational in eight areas of the Republic of South Africa. Its activities ended in 1996. I chose the case study approach in this study. The evaluation is summative in nature. One school which participated in the programme was chosen, to see what impact the programme had on its effectiveness. A second school that had not participated in the programme was brought into the study for purposes of comparison. The conclusion I reached is that school management programmes have a significant impact on the effectiveness of the schools that participate in such programmes. This became very clear in the study. The school that participated in the TOPS management programme was found to be very effective. The school met quite a number of requirements for effectiveness. The performance of the programme school was found to be much better than that of the comparison school. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Die populasie van Suid Afrika bestaan uit 'n verskeidenheid van rasse wat nog verder verskil as gevolg van geografiese ligging, welvaart, opvoeding ens. Dit was die geval in baie jare. Sedert 1994 het 'n nuwe demokratiese regering die bewind orrgeneem. Sedertdien het daar baie veranderinge plaasgevind. Die grootste hiervan is dat die regering 'n poging daarvan maak om die lewenskwaliteit van die vorige minderbevooregte lede van die samelewing te verbeter. Die verandering is opmerklik in aIle afdelings van die regering. Onderwys is seker die afdeling wat die meeste aadag gegee word ten opsig van verbetering. Verskeie programme word aangebied. Hierin word baie geld, arbeid en energie in geploeg. Die groot vraag egle is word die regte resultate ontvang? In hierdie ondrsoek poog ek om die inpak van hierdie programme te evalueer. Ek het die TOPS sckool bestuur program uit gekies om te evalueer. Hierdie program was in agt streke van die Republiek aangebied; tot en met 1996. In hierdie opsig het ek die gevalle studie metode toe gepas, en die evaluasie is opsommend van aard. 'n Skool wat deelgeneem het aan die program is uit gekies om te bepaal watter inpak die program op sy efektiwiteit gehad het. 'n Ander skool wat nie deelgeneem het aan die program nie is gebruik om as vergelykend op te tree. Die resultate toon aan dat die skool wat deelgeneem het aan die program baie verbeter het. Dit is 'n bewys dat skool bestuur programme 'n beduidende en waardevolle inpak op efektiwiteit het. Die skool wat deelgeneem het aan die TOPS skool bestuur program was baie meer effektief en het verskeie vereiste standaarde maklik gehaal. Die resultate van die skool wat aan die program deelgeneem het was beduidend beter as die vergelykende skool