Ampliar el acceso a programas AEPI de calidad para niños menores de 3 años

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Zulu (2013:12) states that the education governance was highly centralised during the previous political dispensation until after 1994, where the school governance was decentralised. The rationale for the decentralisation of school governance, according to section 10 of the SASA (1996:16), was to place the real authority of school governance in the hands of broad representatives of local communities. This by implication is to grant local communities opportunities to become more responsive to local educational needs.

Cotton (2011:6) supports this view because the decentralised school governance or, what others call site-based management, could reduce inefficiency and unnecessary delays in decision-making. The main aim of the decentralised school governance (site- based management) and shared decision making strategies was to directly challenge and seek to change the complex and well-entrenched patterns of institutional and individual behaviour that have remained unscathed by top-down reforms (Thwala, 2010:41). The SASA (1996:20) prescribes a whole lot of functions to be performed by the SGB and gives it considerable amount of powers to perform such functions. In view of the above, the SGB functions as a unit, although individual members have individual responsibilities and it is allowed to set up committees in order to fulfil its tasks effectively. SGBs are therefore, given functions according to their experience, knowledge and capacity (Sambo, 2016:33). This means that an SGB member that demonstrates the capacity, knowledge and expertise to execute the mandatory rural secondary school’s functions, may be allocated certain functions over and above ordinary functions (Gayatri, 2013:57).

2.4.3.1 The ordinary functions of the SGB

Ordinary functions according to Education Rights Project (2012:9) are functions that all SGBs must perform and the following are ordinary functions of the SGB:

 Develop admission policy: Education Rights Project (2012:7) and Gayatri (2013:58) point out that the SGB is expected by the SASA to make a decision on the admission policy of the school. It is very important for an SGB to make sure that an admission policy does not discriminate unfairly based on race, religion, language, gender and social class. There should be no way that learners can be excluded from admission (Gayatri, 2013:58).

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 Language Policy: it is the SBG’s duty to decide on the language used at school. The language policy must at least allow and promote multilingualism in the school as stipulated in the South African Constitution (Education Rights Project, 2012:7).

 Religious Policy: According to Gayatri (2013:58), the school’s SGB must establish the religious policy and should be in line with the South Africa’s Constitution. The SGB should ensure that the religious policy does not discriminate any religion or anyone and all religions to be treated equally. The SGB should make sure that there is no force or pressure put on any member of the school to participate in any religion (Education Rights Project, 2012:7; Gayatri, 2013:58).

 Code of Conduct: Duma, Kapueja and Khanyile (2011:48) and the Education Rights Project (2012:8) argue that there should be an accord in the adoption of a school code of conduct between or in consultation with learners, parents and teachers. The school’s code of conduct should not be in disagreement with the South African constitution or any law passed by national and provincial government, which protects learners (Duma et al., 2011:48). This means that as much as the learner attendance and discipline is emphasised in the code of conduct, but the rights of learners should not be ignored and violated, for instance, corporal punishment not to be used and pregnant learners not to be denied an opportunity to learn (Duma et al., 2011:48; Education Rights Project, 2012:8).

 Adopt a constitution: The school’s constitution must be adopted by the SGB, and should not oppose the South African constitution and laws of the country. Whatever that the SGB would be doing, will then be guided and governed by the adopted constitution (Gayatri, 2013:58). Things that are included in the constitution are SGB meetings every term; SGB meetings with parents; minutes and reports (Education Rights Project, 2012:8; Gayatri, 2013:58). The Education Rights Project (2012:8) states that it is the mandate from the SASA that the SGB must submit the copy of the adopted constitution to the Head of Department (HoD) within 90 days of its election.

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 School development: The Education Rights Project (2012:9) and Gayatri (2013:59) note that the development of the school is dependent on the SGB by ensuring that all members actively work to improve the school and avoiding any doing that will compromise the school. For instance, determination of school fees, preparation of financial budgets, maintenance of bank accounts, establishment of school fund and making sure that the school community is informed about the usage of the school fund (Education Rights Project, 2012:9).

 Mission statement: The SGB with the school community should put in writing what they consider to be the purpose and the values of the school that give direction, that is, the mission statement. For the mission statement to be able to hold all stakeholders together and accountable, all the views of the stakeholders in the development of the mission statement should be considered (Education Rights Project, 2012:9).

 School functioning: According to Education Rights Project (2012:9) and Gayatri (2013:59), the principal, teachers and other staff members of the school should be fully supported by the SGB in order for them to perform their duties fully. This is one of the SGB functions to make sure that the school functions properly (Gayatri, 2013:59).

 The school day: The school times are determined by the SGB. The school times should not be in distinction with the law of the country and staff should not be forced to work outside the stipulated working hours. However, if there is a need, the SGB should engage with the concerned employees in terms of working outside hours (Education Rights Project, 2012:9).

 Property administration: Gayatri (2013:59) claims that the administration and control of the school’s property, buildings, and grounds is the main priority for the SGB. In short, the SGB should ensure that they look after the school’s property. But according to the Education Rights Project (2012:9), the above function is limited in the sense that the SGB is not allowed to make physical alterations and additions to the existing school property but the only thing the SGB can do is to inform the provincial department about the alterations and additions that need to be done (Education Rights Project, 2012:9)

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 Voluntary services: It is put in the hands of the SGB to make sure that it encourages parents, learners, teachers, and other staff members to render at least voluntary services for the school’s improvement (Duma et al., 2011:48).

 The Education Rights Project (2012:9) claims that these voluntary services can be fund-raisings, but without force.

 Appointment of teachers: The SGB, according to Duma et al. (2011:48), can recommend the appointment of teachers at the school to the Head of Department (HoD) and the HoD can either employ or not employ the candidate recommended by the SGB. Above all, the SGB has vested powers to recommend the appointment of teachers (Education Rights Project, 2012:9).

2.4.3.2 The allocated functions of the SGB

Allocated functions are functions that are performed by the SGB with the granted permission by the Head of Department (HOD) to perform them (Education Rights Project, 2012:14). These allocated functions of the SGB according to Education Rights Project (2012:14) are to:

 Maintain and improve the school’s property and grounds: As it was discussed above under the ordinary functions of the SGB, the SGB can only do alterations and additions in the property with permission to perform this allocated function (Gayatri, 2013:59). The government is the one that decides who does that alteration and addition and pays those involved (Education Rights Project, 2012:14).

 Determine the extra-mural curriculum and subject options of the school: Education Rights Project (2012:14) argues that the SGB can determine the extra-mural curriculum and the subject options for the school but that should be strictly in line with the curriculum policy from the department.

 To buy textbooks, educational material or equipment for the school: Unless the school has not been given permission to perform this allocated function, the government is responsible for the buying of teaching and learning material (Thekiso, 2013:35).

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 To pay for the services to the school: Education Rights Project (2012:14), Gayatri (2013:59) and Thekiso (2013:35) maintain that SGB should pay for services to the school, but that is limited to the permission granted to them. In case where the SGB is not granted permission to pay for services, such as rubbish collection, water and electricity, the government does the payments (Thekiso, 2013:35).