Practices of school governing bodies in selected Grassy Park Schools : a challenge to democracy

• Main Author: Adams, Faried
• Other Authors: Waghid, Y.
• Format: Others
• Language: en_ZA
• Published: Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University 2012
• Subjects: School management and organization > South Africa > Cape of Good Hope; Education > Management; School boards > South Africa > Cape of Good Hope; Dissertations > Education; Theses > Education
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10019.1/53015

Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2002. === ENGLISH ABSTRACT: One of the major features of the democratisation of education in South Africa revolves around the decentralisation of school governance. In this regard, important decision-making responsibilities have devolved from central government to "self-governing" school communities, incorporated into School Governing Bodies. This study explores the current practices of School Governing Bodies in selected schools in the Grassy Park area. It seeks to demonstrate that there seems to exist a dichotomy between the ideals of democratic policies as espoused in the South African Schools Act, and the manner in which these policies are implemented. The promulgation of the South African Schools Act of 1996 heralded the beginning of a new phase in the governance of schools. However, the promulgation of policy does not necessarily imply the effective implementation thereof. This thesis argues that despite the existence of the South African Schools Act, school governing practices do not seem to be conclusively democratic. Unless school governing practices are reconceptualised and restructured akin to a notion of deliberative democracy such practices would continue to remain less democratic. === AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: Een van die uitstaande kenmerke in die demokratisering van die onderwys in Suid Afrika, wentel rondom die desentralisasie van skoolbestuur. In hierdie verband is die belangrike besluitmakings-verantwoordelikhede oorgedra vanaf die sentrale regering na "selfregerende" skool komittees, ingelyf tot Skool Beheer Liggame. Hierdie studie eksploreer huidige praktisering van Skool Beheer Liggame in geselekteerde skole in die Grassy Park gebied. Dit beoog om te demonstreer dat daar waarskynlik 'n splitsing bestaan tussen die ideale van demokratiese beleid soos voorgestaan deur die Suid Afrikaanse Skole Wet, en die manier waarop die beleid geimplementeer word. Die proklamasie van die Suid Afrikaanse Skole Wet van 1996 het die begin van 'n nuwe fase in skoolbeheer ingelui. Nietemin, die afkondiging van beleid beteken nie noodwendig die effektiewe uitvoering daarvan nie. Hierdie tesis voer aan dat ten spyte van die voortbestaan van die Suid Afrikaanse Skole Wet, die praktyk van skoolbeheer neig om nie uitsluitlik demokraties te wees nie. Ofskoon die uitvoering van die praktyk van skool beheerliggame gerekonseptualiseer en geherstruktureer word, verwant aan 'n begrip van beredeneerde demokrasie, sal sulke uitvoering minder demokraties bly.