BELA law: school and parental autonomy critical to education solutions – IRR

Strengthening rather than weakening school governing bodies is essential to efficient school governance, argues the Institute of Race Relations (IRR).

While welcoming President Cyril Ramaphosa’s granting the opportunity for further discussion on, and revision of, key controversial elements of the Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, which he signed today, the IRR emphasises the importance of affirming the role of School Governing Bodies (SGBs) in delivering solutions to problems in education, and of limiting the scope for undue bureaucratic interference in how schools are run.

Says IRR Campaign Manager Makone Maja: “The Institute is heartened by the President’s posture of openness to possible revisions in the Bill. While the legislation contains some valuable improvements to basic education, such as the compulsory enrolment of grade R learners, these do not redeem the flaws in the draft law.

“Of specific concern are the amendments that seek to weaken the powers of SGBs. It is to be welcomed that an opportunity is to be given for these to be revised, since they risk creating the potential for political or trade union operatives to use the bureaucracy to push political agendas against the interests of parents and learners.”

SGBs have been a vehicle for prudent and context-sensitive management in school governance. They ensure a certain autonomy that engenders creativity, agility and responsiveness to solving problems. They foster distinctive approaches to dealing with issues and allow schools – within constitutional parameters – to live their own set of values and principles.

“As they have close proximity to the workings of their school, and are made up of parents of the learners themselves, SGBs have an inherent advantage over any government bureaucracy. Parents have a greater interest in the wellbeing of their children and their peers than a bureaucrat ever would; they are better placed than government appointees to ensure that schools that are responsible for shaping the future of their children are, too.

“Parents should be encouraged to participate as co-governors of their children’s schools, and should resist efforts to delegate this role to the state.

“After all, this is the same government that stunts children’s potential and future employment prospects by having them believe that a 30% mark is good enough. This message has arrested the future of many South African youth,” says Maja.

Having schools operating with the flexibility that the SGB system allows − where each school has its own separate set of values, specific challenges, and parents who deal with these issues in much closer degree than state officials − is not a function we should trade for centralised and consolidated power in the hands of a bureaucrat.  

Media Contact: Makone Maja, IRR Campaign Manager Tel: 079 418 6676 Email: makone@irr.org.za

Media enquiries: Michael Morris Tel: 066 302 1968 Email: michael@irr.org.za