Study on Constraints to Effective Governance by the Parent Component of the SGBs in Rural South Africa

Abstract

The South African Schools Act, No.84 of 1996, pronounces the establishment of School Governing Bodies, which allow stakeholders such as parents, educators, and learners to participate actively in making decisions about the school's management. School governance in rural South Africa has been plagued by a slew of issues that have rendered it ineffective and, in some cases, unsuccessful. The objective of this paper was to investigate the school governance constraints faced by the parent component of the SGBs in rural South Africa. To achieve this objective, perceptions of SGB chairpersons from selected rural areas in South Africa were sought. These perceptions revolved around the challenges the parents in the SGBs faced regarding the execution of their governance functions as expounded in the SASA. By involving chairpersons of School Governing Bodies in particular selected high schools in the Sisonke district of KwaZulu-Natal, a qualitative research approach was used, which included convenience sampling and interviews. The findings of the empirical study revealed that School Governing Bodies in rural South Africa face challenges related to the parent component's literacy level, their lack of understanding of their roles and responsibilities, and their lack of financial muscle, all of which impede parents' easy movement between school and home.