This study focused on parent governors' experiences In school financial decision-making. Whilst the South African Schools Act, 1996, endorses decentralisation of finance control to all School Governing Body members, this is not commonly the case with Ndwedwe rural School Governing Body parent representatives in particular. It is argued that decentralised financial powers could increase parent governors' democratic participation in the school financial governance. However, reports from some parent governors in Section 20 and Section 21 status schools indicated that parent governors still face severe challenges in making financial decisions. In this regard, the study investigated the voices of parent governors regarding school financial decision-making. The study drew on a qualitative interpretive approach of parent governors' experiences in a small sample of schools selected by means of purposeful sampling. For the purpose of data collection, an interview schedule was designed to allow flow of probing, clarifying and motivating the respondents where necessary. Document analysis informed subsequent data collection from the interviews. The findings indicated that the majority of parent governors in the schools studied were still dependent on their principals, had language difficulties and faced huge challenges in the' No Fee' paying schools. The study concluded that in the schools selected, school financial governance was not taking place as it should. To achieve quality in financial governance, continuous support of rural SGBs on financial decisionmaking is necessary, effective SGBs should twin with ineffective SGBs, financial documents must also include IsiZulu versions and the Department of Education should lift the restrictions on allocated funds. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

Transport for learners has been problematised by some South African scholars as being a significant factor in access to education. This study takes the view of access further by focusing on South African public transport policy provisions for learners. The key research questions are: 1. What are the political discourses in public transport policies that are relevant to school transport and learners? 2. To what extent are these public transport policies coherent in their treatment of and provision for learners? Through using a blend of Scheurich’s Policy Archaeology and Fairclough’s Critical Discourse Analysis approaches for an analysis of selected excerpts from relevant policy texts issued in the period 1994-2009, I find that school learners are assigned marginalised positions and neo-liberal trends temper school learner interests. These findings about South Africa’s transport policies and how they serve the interests of learners and position them in the social hierarchy, point to discourses in public transport policy that infringe the rights of school learners to have their best interests served in all matters related to their wellbeing as indicated in Section 28 of the Constitution. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This study sought to investigate factors influencing educator morale in the former KwaMashu Circuit in the Pinetown District. After realising that the educator morale is a national crisis, the study aimed to examine factors that influence low educator morale of high school educators. The study used interviews, questionnaires, document analysis and participant observation to collect data for the research. Having subjected sourced data to rigorous processing and analysis, the researcher concluded that the problems pertaining to low educator morale, include lack of resources, insecurity of educators because of many transformational processes, lack of discipline and cooperation from learners, lack of safety and security due to high crime rate such as theft, vandalism, violence, and killing of educators in school premises. The other salient factors contributing to low educator morale are low salaries, which are not commensurate with educator's educational qualifications and experience, lack of parental involvement in school matters, involvement of educatorunion politics in school management and promotional posts, overcrowded classrooms and heavy work loads, lack of support from District Officials and lack of transparency in decision-making and management of school finances. The study recommends that the Education Department must redress these issues by revisiting the existing policies, fast tracking infrastructure programme especially to previously disadvantaged schools, provide retraining programme, workshops to empower managers with democratic leadership styles, providing schools with security guards as well as fencing the school premises and expedite the process of appointing more subject advisors to support educators in the implementation of new curriculum. v / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.

This small-scale study sought to investigate "The effectiveness of the training of School Governing Bodies provided by the KZN Department of Education: perceptions of parentmembers at three Phoenix West Ward schools of the Kwa-Mashu Circuit in the Ethekwini Region". This qualit ative study gathered data through the case study approach guided by the following key questions: 1. What are the parents ' perceptions regarding the training methods used at SGB workshops? 2. What are their perceptions regarding the adequacy and appropriateness of the training content? 3. What are their views in terms of how the training of SGBs can be made more fruitful ? The study entailed interviewing parent members of the SGBs at three Phoenix West schools, analysing training documents as well as observation of training workshops. The findings of the study revealed that the KZN Education Department basically uses the workshops approach and cascading method to train SGBs. It was also found that the cascade model used alone has problems. A lot of vital information gets distorted or lost as the information is cascaded to the lower levels. The cascade model also may lead to increased monopoly in attending workshops and consequently, marginalisation of other SGB members. In the light of the above challenges, I recommend that radio broadcasts be used to compliment the cascading model and other methods to transmit information to as many SGB members as possible. In addition to the written manuals that are provided to schools, it is recommended that other visual and audio resources such as training videos cassettes and CD materials be provided as part of the SGB training resource packs. This is possible now because most schools, even in rural areas, have electricity and television sets. The use of two different actors in the training field did not seem to add value to the objectives of training. These programmes were run by the School Governance Training Unit (SGTU) based at the Pinetown District Office and School Effectiveness Programme based at Ulundi (and later Pietermaritzburg) Head Office. They had separate programmes, budgets and officials. Instead of bringing development to the SGBs, these programmes seemed to have brought clashes of workshop dates and confusion to the SGBs. It is suggested that these programmes be amalgamated as they serve the same purpose for the SGBs. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2006.

This study explored the barriers to education experienced by a group of learners in the context of HIV and AIDS. It also examined the extent to which HIV/AIDS is viewed as an exclusionary factor in the schooling experiences of primary school children. The research site was a co-educational school that is a service provider to mostly disadvantaged learners from a lower socio-economic background. There were twelve participants in the study: six girls and six boys. Four focus group interviews were conducted with the children to explore their experiences of potential barriers to education. Within the focus group sessions, various participatory research techniques were employed in data collection, including projective techniques, drawing exercises and ranking exercises. The study provides evidence of a complex, at times contradictory, and intricate web of barriers to education that learners experience in this schooling context. In general, various contextual factors have a profoundly negative impact on the children’s schooling experiences, in particular their access to quality education. Children are exposed to multiple, complex layers of risk and trauma from growing up in the context of HIV and AIDS. There is little evidence that the school has the resources to provide emotional and psychological support. The study has implications for the development of policy and intervention strategies that may meet these children’s needs. Finally, the study makes a contribution to research methodology in its use of participatory research techniques for data collection. The data exemplifies that children are active participants in and competent interpreters of their world – in this case their lives and schooling in the context of HIV and AIDS. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu Natal, Durban, 2008.

This study was done in order to determine whether teachers are taking on leadership roles in their schools. The following questions were posed: What factors exist in schools that help or hinder teacher leadership? What structures need to be in place for teachers to be leaders? How does the culture of the school support or creates barriers to teacher leadership? And, finally , what personal factors enhance or inhibit teacher leadership? This dissertation takes the form of case studies of three urban primary schools in the Pietermaritzburg region. The study is qualitative in nature and examines the leadership roles that teachers are undertaking, with the intention of identifying and exploring the factors that help or hinder teacher leadership. To ascertain the responses of teachers, a questionnaire, as well as semi-structured interviews were used. The principals who participated in the study were also interviewed to ascertain their views on teacher leadership. South Africa is a relatively new democracy with a host of new policies. The one that is of relevance to this study is the Norms and Standards for Educators (2000). This policy prescribes that teachers are required to undertake seven roles . Of these seven roles , the one that is of particular relevance to this study, is the role of leader, administrator and manager. This role, as prescribed by policy, implies that teachers are expected to undertake leadership roles , both in and out of the classroom. What is of interest, however, is whether and to what extent, this policy prescription is implemented in the school. The findings revealed that schools in the study were characterized by structures that were 'top-down' , and that leadership roles in these schools were delegated, rather than distributed. Findings also pointed to a number of barriers to teachers taking on leadership roles . These included time constraints, rigid attitudes of principals and school management team members as well as the impact of taking on additional roles and responsibilities, on the personal lives of teachers. Some recommendations in order for leadership to succeed in South Africa would be, firstly , that steps should to be taken to implement and encourage teacher leadership. This would entail a change in mindset on the part of principals in particular, many of whom would have to radically revise their views of what constitutes leadership and who should lead. Secondly, there should be a movement away from delegated leadership towards a more distributed form of leadership. Thirdly, it is also the recommendation of this study that the creation of a collaborative culture in schools will create an enabling environment for teacher leadership to flourish. / Thesis (M.Ed.) - University of KwaZulu-Natal, Pietermaritzburg, 2007.

The purpose of this study is to understand the dynamics of power experienced by teachers with multiple stakeholders namely the learners, parents, the school management team and the Department of Education in the management of learner discipline. The study also investigated teachers’ knowledge of legislation and policy regarding discipline and the perceptions of their authority and power in relationship to learner discipline. The study on teachers’ experience and perceptions of learner (in)discipline was conducted in an hitherto overlooked setting, namely the primary school. Media reports and international surveys on discipline, violence and school safety pinpoint the need for further research on this burning issue that is affecting our society. In this study, all ten senior primary teachers participated. A qualitative approach was used. Data was collected through classroom observation, interviews, written accounts and document analysis. The participants were chosen by purposive sampling. The collection, presentation and analysis of data were guided by the research questions, and by the following concepts: French and Raven’s five bases of power (legitimate, coercive, expert, reward and referent), structural power and the concepts of power over, power with, power to and power from within, all through the lens of education for social justice. The process of social justice requires an outlook of power with rather than power over. Power with is a jointly developed power, that is, the power we achieve by working cooperatively with all concerned. The findings indicate that teachers’ knowledge of legislation on discipline covers the banning of corporal punishment but is vague and divided about the corrective measures and the alternatives to corporal punishment. Teachers’ perceptions of their power to control misbehaviour is one of powerlessness. This is caused by, among other factors, the demands of macro structural forces and external factors beyond their control. Teachers resort to negotiation and bargaining with learners to engage them in learning. In this struggle to manage indiscipline, teachers stand alone deprived of support from parents, school administration and the Department of Education. Hence the dynamics of power experienced by teachers with other stakeholders in the management of discipline is not a transformational form of power or a social justice version of power with. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Edgewood, 2012.

This study undertakes to explore challenges that rural primary schools face in the implementation of the alternatives to corporal punishment. This qualitative study gathered data through the case study approach for the following key research questions: 1. How do rural primary schools implement alternatives to corporal punishment policy? 2. What are the new experiences of principals, teachers and parents after the introduction of alternatives to old corporal punishment policy? 3. How do rural primary schools manage the implementation of the alternatives to corporal punishment policy? Interviews were conducted with educators and parents in order to collect data from three schools in the KwaNgcolosi and eMolweni areas. The qualitative approach helped the researcher to make meaning from data by seeing the bigger picture and converting the raw empirical information into what is known in qualitative research as a “thick description”. The researcher used a qualitative approach to gain a deeper and better understanding of the challenges facing rural primary schools in the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment policy. In order to get a full picture of the challenges in schools under study the researcher obtained data through semi-structured interviews. Most educators and parents felt that misconduct was worse without corporal punishment in schools. They said that learners did not take alternatives to corporal punishment seriously, and made fun of these disciplinary measures. It was also indicated that there were dangerous conditions [such as walking alone for long distances] when detention was vi used in rural areas. There was a call to reinstate corporal punishment by most educators and parents in schools under study. In responding to the challenges in the implementation of alternatives to corporal punishment policy, educators in rural schools should be provided with guidance and training by the Department of Education on how to implement the alternative measures. Guidance educators and counsellors need to be appointed to support educators in schools. Caregivers should be allocated by the government to learners who are living alone and learners who are under the care of grandparents that are old and illiterate. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

This study investigates Heads of Department’s (HoDs’) understandings of their roles as curriculum managers and their level of preparedness for instructional support and supervision to educators in the implementation of Outcomes-Based Education (OBE) in schools. This is a qualitative case study focusing on one rural primary school in KwaZulu-Natal. There were nine participants comprising three HoDs and six randomly selected educators in the study. Data was collected by means of questionnaires, interviews, observation, and document analysis. The study examines HoDs’ understandings of their roles as curriculum managers and their perceptions about their levels of preparedness for curriculum management and supervision roles. In addition, an attempt is made to identify some of the professional development needs of HoDs in the context of OBE implementation in schools. The key findings that emerged from the research were that HoDs did not fully understand their curriculum management and supervision roles and were not adequately trained and prepared to fulfil their management and supervisory responsibilities. It was found that HoDs required professional development in the form of workshops, in-service training, networking or information sharing meetings and seminars to prepare them for their role as curriculum managers. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2008.

The study examined the challenges faced by the selection committees during the selection process and recommendation of the appointment of educators particularly to promotional posts in rural schools. Through my working experience in the rural schools for the past eighteen years, I have realised that rural communities are characterized by a cocktail of social ills, such as, poverty, poor hygiene, dreadful diseases and illiteracy. From the verbal discussions with my colleagues and members of the community, it has become evident that rural schools are faced with many challenges. I have also realized that some members of the School Governing Bodies (SGBs) encounter numerous problems in performing their tasks. A School Governing Body (SGB) was constituted in terms of the South African Schools Act (SASA) No.84 of 1996. According to SASA; the SGB has many functions to perform. One of these functions is to form a selection committee to interview candidates and make recommendations to the Department of Education for the appointment of the selected educators. However, existing literature and studies revealed that the selection and appointment process in some schools is fraught with many problems. Some of the problems emanate from the nature and the way the selection committee is composed. For instance, in certain rural schools there is a low level of education amongst some parents and some members do not have conception of what is required from educators in order to qualify for employment or promotion. Subsequently, their ability to interview and select educators is questionable. The findings of the study suggested that there are also underlying factors which affected the selection process. These factors ranged from favouritism, subjectivity and biasness, impact of the Post Provisional Norm/Model (PPN/M), selection and scoring criteria, lack of expertise to manipulation by members during the selection process. Recommendations were made on the basis of these findings, however, the results of this study may not be generalized to all the rural schools in South Africa because of a few number of participants who were involved. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, 2007.