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School governing bodies : their significance in the democratic transformation of South African society

Thesis (MEd)--University of Stellenbosch, 2000. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: This thesis seeks to demonstrate the potential of school
governing bodies to further the process of democratising South
African society.
Among the main features of the democratisation of South African
education, is the decentralisation of educational governance.
In this process the decision-making authority has been devolved
from central government to the local school level, thus
preparing school communities for self-government and autonomy.
The establishment of school governing bodies at all public
schools in the country brings South Africa in line with current
international trends for democratic local community
participation and control in education. When this aspect of the
education systems of three countries, the United States of
America, England and Australia, are compared with South
Africa's, it shows the extent of the latter's democratisation of
educational governance.
The background to local community participation in South African
education according to various pieces of legislation passed,
their failure to reform education, and other aspects which led
to the promulgation of the Schools Act (1996), places school
governing bodies in South Africa in proper historical context.
An examination of the Schools Act reveals its democratic nature
and identifies those aspects of school governing bodies which
have the potential of furthering the democratisation process.
The challenges that the changes in school governance bring with
them are analysed to highlight their implications and
significance for school governing bodies.
School governing bodies offer new and exciting opportunities for
enterprising and enthusiastic communities. School governors
should, therefore, be urged to seize the opportunity to
participate in school governance and in this way play their role
in furthering the democratic transformation of South African
society. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Hierdie tesis poog om die potensiaal wat skoolbeheerliggame het
om die proses van die demokratisering van die Suid-Afrikaanse
samelewing te bevorder, aan te toon.
Een van die hoofeienskappe van die demokratisering van die Suid-
Afrikaanse onderwys, is die desentralisasie van onderwysbestuur.
In hierdie proses is besluitnemingsgesag afgewentel vanaf
sentrale regeringsvlak na die plaaslike skoolvlak, waardeur
skoolgemeenskappe voorberei word vir self-beheer en outonomie.
Die totstandkoming van skoolbeheerliggame by alle openbare skole
in die land, bring Suid-Afrika in lyn met huidige internasionale
tendense rakende die demokratiese plaaslike gemeenskapsdeelname
aan beheer en bestuur in die onderwys. Wanneer hierdie aspek
van die onderwysstelsels van drie lande, die Verenigde State van
Amerika, Engeland en Australië, met die van Suid-Afrika vergelyk
word, dui dit die omvang van die demokratisering van
onderwysbeheer en -bestuur in die Suid-Afrikaanse opset aan.
Die agtergrond van plaaslike gemeenskapsdeelname in die Suid-
Afrikaanse onderwys volgens verskeie stukke wetgewing, hulle
onvermoë om die onderwys te hervorm, en ander aspekte wat tot
die afkondiging van die Skole Wet (1996) gelei het, plaas
skoolbeheerliggame in die regte historiese konteks.
'n Ondersoek van die Skole Wet dui aan dat dit demokraties in
wese is, en daardie aspekte van skoolbeheerliggame wat die
potensiaal besit om die demokratiseringsproses voort te sit,
word geidentifiseer.
Die uitdagings wat die veranderinge in skoolbestuur met hulle
meebring, word geanaliseer om hulle implikasies en
betekenisvolheid vir skOOlbeheerliggame uit te lig.
Skoolbeheerliggame bied nuwe en opwindende geleenthede vir
ondernemende en geesdriftige gemeenskappe aan. Skoolbeheerliggame
moet dus aangespoor word om die geleentheid aan te gryp
om deelname aan skoolbestuur te hê en om sodoende hulle rol te
speel in die bevordering van die demokratiese transformasie van
die Suid-Afrikaanse samelewing.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/51905
Date03 1900
CreatorsHendricks, M. (Mymoena)
ContributorsWaghid, Y., Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies.
PublisherStellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Source SetsSouth African National ETD Portal
Languageen_ZA
Detected LanguageUnknown
TypeThesis
Format161 p.
RightsStellenbosch University

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