A delegation from the Department of Basic Education, led by Minister Angie Motshekga; Deputy Minister, Enver Surty; and Director-General Mathanzima Mweli; briefed the Basic Education Portfolio Committee on preparations underway for the School Governing Body (SGB) elections that will take place 1st to 31st of March 2018.
The department told the committee that SGB task teams have been set up at both national and provincial levels. Election guidelines have been established and training manuals for election officers have been developed. Election dates have been set and provincial and district electoral officers have been appointed, and circulars have been sent out to schools.
The School Governing Body (SGB) elections will begin in later this week after a very significant three year cycle for the important role of School Governing Bodies in our schools. The SGB elections are the largest election process outside of the Local Government Elections and take place in all plus minus 25 thousand public schools. The importance of this structure in our schools emanates from the important role parents and communities need to play in the education of their children.
The past SGB cycle has seen the role of SGB’s play out prominently in the public arena, from issues around discipline in schools and codes of conduct, to language and admissions policies at a school level. These are all exceptionally important matters that fall within the responsibility of SGB’s.
The election of SGBs is one of the flagships of the education sector that has to be prioritised by all provinces in terms of planning, budget allocation and the allocation of both physical human resources. Governing bodies have a strategic significance as identified by the National Development Plan (NDP) which calls for the alignment of the interests of all stakeholders to support the common goal of achieving good educational outcomes that are responsive to community needs and economic development.
The SGB elections contribute to the development of a strong sense of community ownership. The performance of schools tends to improve when parents are actively involved and take an interest in the affairs of the school.
The most important thing now is for parents to turn up in their numbers to meet the required meeting thresholds so that the elections can take place and adequately represent the school community.
Enquiries:
Elijah Mhlanga
Cell: 083 580 8275
Troy Martens
Cell: 078 899 3070
