| Summary: | This research project addresses tensions between principals and School Governing
Body members (SGBs) in secondary schools in the Inanda area. To understand such
tensions, an interpretive approach was employed to gather data that informed our
understanding of how tensions among target population affected the day to day running
of secondary school.
The two township secondary schools were purposefully selected in Inanda in KwaZuluNatal,
South Africa. Selected schools were generally known for consistently having
problems although the nature of those problems was not known. The study employed
an interpretivist approach to interpret the participant's actions and their behaviour during
the process of interviews. The findings from two cases confirmed the existence of
tensions and also that such tensions did not enhance the quality of teaching and
learning. The tensions were found in different categories such as tensions between
principals and parents, and between principal and educator components of the SGB.
Both schools had similar tensions which were located between the SGB members and
their respective principals. Such tensions included poor involvement of stakeholders in
the decision-making process, leadership style and lack of SGB structures such as
school finance committee, interview committees and discipline committees.
There were also internal factors which directly contributed to the tensions. These
tensions were directly linked to the leadership style of the principal, understanding of
school policies, struggle related to positions and poor communication among the
organisational members. The Department of Education (DoE) has been reluctant to
intervene even when it has been alerted to serious problems which could undermine the
smooth running of schools. It is therefore recommended that the DoE officials should
play an active role in resolving some of the critical challenges facing these schools. === Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of KwaZulu-Natal, Durban, 2009.
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