El axioma de completitud

Data shows that some of the circuit managers play a role of helping schools with developing of learner leadership abilities and motivation as well as helping with disciplinary issues. This section will present this under the following sub-themes. 1) Development of learner leadership 2) Motivation.

5.5.1 Development of learners’ leadership and motivation

Circuit managers also indicated that they tried to improve teaching and learning by working with learners, especially in secondary schools. Ngubo stated that he ensured that there is a teacher in every secondary school who works directly and indirectly with the Representative Council of Learners (RCL). In return, he meets these teachers who are responsible for the RCLs from different secondary schools to capacitate them about some of the issues that they need to assist their learners with.

I ensure that schools have a teacher that is responsible for the RCLs who ensures that RCLs are functional and well capacitated in terms of leadership because they provide leadership to the entire learner population in the school. I also make time to meet these teachers from all the secondary schools that work RCL. I capacitate them about issues they need to capacitate these young leaders with.

Ntanzi also indicated that in his circuit he liked working with RCLs because it provided him with an opportunity to develop learner leadership skills.

I also like working with Representative Council for Learners, developing the learners’ leadership skills. It is however hard to find time to meet them as much as I would like to because of my busy schedule. At least once year I meet them with their responsible teacher.

An analysis of document circuit managers used to guide their work, especially the year plans and meeting schedules, corroborated the views shared by Ntanzi above about the work they do with learners. For example, Myeza’s year plan Figure A above indicate that she met with RCLs twice each year in the first and the third term.

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It also emerged from data analysis of interviews done with circuit managers that they motivated learners to focus on their work and to do well. The motivation Circuit managers provided targets learners in matric or Grade 12. Skhakhane indicated that whenever he visited secondary schools, he tried to see Grade 12 learners (the final school class) so that he can motivate them. This idea is borne of his appreciation that, for learners to be successful, they need to know why they are learning. He went further to explain that he wanted to motivate all the learners, but it will be impossible for him to do so because of time constraints, thus he focused on Grade 12s. This approach of meeting Grade 12 learners only seemed to worry him very much because he claimed to appreciative of education not starting in Grade 12.

The first thing here is to motivate learners to realise the importance of going to school and to be serious about school. As it does not matter how well your preparation may be as a teacher, if you go to class to teach learners who do not know why they are learning. When I go around schools I always ask to see Matrics; in some instances I can see it is just a teaspoon of sugar in the sea. Trying to make the sea to taste sweet. It is just making the ocean sweet with a teaspoon of sugar to talk to Matric only when schooling does not start in Matric. I always feel like I need to call all of them, but the challenge is I do not always have the time to visit one school often. I always try to address them on the significance of learning.

Such views were also shared by Ntanzi, who also indicated that he visited schools whenever he had time to motivate learners, particularly those who were in matric. He highlighted that, in his engagement with matric learners he focused on demonstrating that education can take them out of poverty and give them a better life. He was quick to acknowledge that such a task was not easy:

I even visit schools when I get chance just to motivate learners about the value of education especially matric students. I get report from principals about the kind of learner they have who are not motivated. I try to convince them that education can give them a better life, but it is very hard to be honest if one considers the social-economic challenges these learners have to overcome.

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The data presented above suggests that circuit managers understand the value of developing young leaders. Learners in the high school serve in leadership position through the RCL and in the SGB. These circuit managers appreciate the value these learners can add to the schools if proper guidance and skills are afforded to them, hence they spend time trying to develop their leadership capabilities.

5.5.2 Dealing with learner ill-discipline

The data in this study also shows that circuit managers assisted schools in holding learners accountable for their ill-discipline, especially those related to gross misconduct. They ensure that schools have a school code of conduct that can deal with disciplinary problems that the school may face. Skhwelo also explained the work that she did with learners in dealing with the faction fights and gangsterism that are a major problem in her circuit. She helped schools by ensuring that the learner who partake in faction fights are held accountable:

The children that were involved we hold accountable individually and the learners that are found to be involved in this faction fights and gangster wars we make them sign contract. We also ensure that the school code of conduct is re-read to the learners. They are made aware of the consequences if they are found guilty of the similar offence in future.

Ngubo added that he encouraged his principals to involve learners, as they are members of the SGB, in the process of the development of policies, especially discipline policies.

I encourage my school principals, particularly those from secondary schools, to ensure that learners as members of the SGB take part in developing of disciplinary policies because it begins from the class rule and those class rules are combined to form the code of conduct for learners.

From this sub-theme of working with learners, circuit managers perform different role which include learner leadership development and motivation, sharing with some learners (in matric, particularly) the world of possibilities that awaits them, preparing them for the future, developing their leadership skills, instilling discipline and assuming the role of a parent and the significance of values of Ubuntu.

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