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To develop schools into learning organisations requires systemic change. This means being in constantly communication with the WCED, EMDCS and other role-players. The fundamental aim of schools is the development of mature, self-directed students by developing the students‟ life-long competence. To achieve this goal, schools have to change from institutions that transfer knowledge into learning organisations. A school cannot develop in isolation. Dalin et al. (1994:6) state that “school on its own is not capable of providing learning opportunities for students in modern society.” If schools are to develop into learning organisations, they need to develop within the context of the environment which will either constrain them or develop them professionally. I therefore propose a mode of communication that will result in an interconnected and interrelatedness of all role-players.

In support of this statement, Fullan (2003:13) posits that “teachers, administrators and policymakers alike must alter context (within the classroom, across the classroom within the school, and across schools) in order to reduce the gap between high and low performers.” This context, for schools in the Western Cape, I believe, refers to teaching and learning methodology, resources, classroom and school infrastructure,

safety and security and timely intervention from service providers, primarily the WCED.

Fullan (1993:43) implies that schools cannot transform without support from the community. Schools are becoming increasingly complex and managing a school requires combining forces with parents, communities and other relevant stakeholders. Fullan (2001:199) draws on Henry‟s (1996) conclusion that “Educators have to go out into their communities with empathy, and interact meaningfully with their constituents.” This means that schools can no longer be isolated from the communities they serve, but have to reshape their involvement with parents and the community in order to tap into resources that have assets and expertise that are essential to the partnership.

If the WCED is to develop schools into learning organisations, they have to provide accountability, pressure, support and capacity building. However, Fullan (2001:232) cautions that providing all that is an extremely difficult task and that “no government has ever done it effectively.” Therefore a mentoring programme aimed at motivating educators, schools and governing bodies to empower and develop themselves could be beneficial to the WCEDs objective to develop schools into learning organisations. Furthermore, formerly disadvantaged schools many which are dysfunctional are facing serious challenges. Turning these kinds of schools into learning organisations would require major innovative adjustments, new goals, new ways of getting things done and even new values and assumptions.

There must be a strong and committed interaction between the internal and external environment of schools. Moloi (2005:4) contends that if a learning organisation wants to sustain its development, it has to maintain “a close relationship between the internal and external environment.” especially within the context of a changing environment. Also, if schools focus only on their own internal organisation, they are depriving themselves of support that might be available outside.

Schools, parents and the community should collaborate and make a collective effort in supporting schools to make teaching and learning enjoyable and constructive for both teachers and learners. Schools should draw from their own and other people's

experience, and as a result deal flexibly and innovatively with the changing environments of modern society. They can creatively change to meet the customer‟s requirements, and can adapt and cope easily with these changing needs. If learning organisations keep in touch with the community, they will be able to deal with changes proactively.

As learning organisations interact with external variables, different interconnected layers are created in many ways. It is therefore difficult to refer to a learning organisation without referring to all the layers. Learning organisations constantly rely on the efforts of all individuals and groups at these different layers to improve everyday teaching and learning activities, communication, reflection and inquiry processes in the school.

Transformation (which refers to the improvement of teaching and learning) should occur on different levels, which include but are not limited to teaching, learning and administration. I argue that happy teachers are usually more productive teachers. Involving everyone concerned, especially teachers, in the decision-making process will ease the pursuit of excellence. Fullan (2001:115) supports this position by positing that “classroom and schools become effective when (1) quality people are recruited to teach, and (2) the workplace is organised to energise teachers and reward accomplishments.”

Teachers in South Africa are generally demoralised. Teachers are faced with many challenges and as a result cannot perform optimally. Statistics indicate that many teachers in South Africa take leave of absence due to stress or are leaving the system in massive numbers. Fullan (2001:21) concludes that “the biggest problems facing schools are fragmentation and overload.” This is endemic to the education system in the Western Cape with declining resources and expectations as well as a turbulent environment.

The main objective of a learning organisation and ultimately the WCED should be to develop effective classroom teaching. This objective in turn seems to be grounded in outcomes-based education (OBE) which aims to establish a balanced curriculum in eight learning areas. However, van Deventer and Waghid (2005:188) caution that

“there is a lot of evidence pointing to more challenges, not only with regard to implementation of outcomes-based education curricula in South Africa, but also to resistance from teachers and parents to changes in education.” This is already manifested in many schools that are experiencing difficulties in terms of implementing OBE due to a lack of resources and inadequate training to implement the new system.

Fundamental to a learning organisation is the development of a good and sustainable relationship between organisational structures (such as schools, community and parents) and provincial and national policy. This relationship should be aimed at creating a better chance of meeting the new conditions for a national and provincial productive education workforce as well as producing equilibrium to stabilise and produce a self-reinforcing social system that may be beneficial to all.

A research study done by Kohn (1999:96) found that “teachers who felt controlled became more controlling, removing virtually any opportunity for students to direct their own learning.” This essentially implies that dictating to schools what to do will create a sense of pressure to produce and when that happens, teachers in turn pressurise their students. This may result in a tense relationship that produces a ripple from teachers and learners, to teachers and heads of departments, to head of departments and principals, and ultimately to principals and the WCED. This kind of relationship is not beneficial for developing schools into learning organisations. In our current democratic dispensation, a more collaborative approach will avoid many negative outcomes in the WCED system.