An Assessment of the Implications of Including Learning in School Governing Bodies: " A Case Studying of 4 High Schools in the Grahamstown District , Eastern Cape Province"

Abstract

The purpose of this research was to assess the implications of including learners in School Governing Bodies. The promulgation of the South African Schools Act (1996) introduced a new model of school governance that had for the first time, learner participants. One of the objectives of this new innovation was to foster 'tolerance, rationale discussi9n and collective decision making' (Hunter Commission Report 1996: 15). It was hoped that this would bring about the required rehabilitation of schools (Education White Paper I 1995:68). The introduction of the stakeholder participation paradigm in decision making was a radical shift from the norm. It became critical to examine its implications for both the system and especially, learners, who have never been exposed to school governance. One had to establish whether learners were making any meaningful contribution to these School Governing Bodies. The research also endeavoured to explore the 'fit' between policy imperatives and the actual practice on the ground.