The School Governing Body (SGB) roadshow hit Gauteng on Saturday, 14 February 2015, urging parents to take an active role in the running of schools.
Officials from the Department of Basic Education (DBE) were joined by colleagues from the Gauteng Education Department and community leaders at the Mehlareng Stadium in Tembisa to engage with parents and other stakeholders.
The DBE will be conducting similar roadshows throughout the county ahead of the elections – scheduled for 6 to 23 March 2015 to raise awareness of the function and importance of SGBs.
There are over 25 000 public schools in South Africa and every school has an SGB, which is tasked with ensuring that the school runs smoothly and efficiently. Such democratically elected SGBs are critical to improve the quality of education; ensure good governance; ensure that schools serve the interests of the community and meet expectations of parents; assist in spreading the cost of education across users and society as a whole and to combat racism, sexism and all other forms of unfair discrimination and intolerance. SGBs are accountable to the school community and should work with dedication and commitment to create the ideal conditions to achieve quality learning and teaching in all schools.
Speaking at the roadshow, officials urged parents to get involved in the election process and play an active role in the running of their children’s schools.
“As a parent, you have the chance to assist all learners at your child’s school. Education is a societal issue and you must take the opportunity to ensure that the best possible quality of education is provided to learners,” said the District Director for Ekhuruleni North, Mr ME Tau. “Experience has shown that increased parental involvement has a positive effect on academic and social performance in schools.”
