Regulatory functionality (Management)

Regulatory functionality entails the management function within the school (Pennington, 2011). The regulatory functions consist of the following school processes which include: partnerships with the community, staff appraisal and development, staff organisation into groups, teams and learning networks, decision-making processes, financial controls, budgets and fundraising, the timetable and school handbook, managing diversity, behaviour and codes of conduct and staff induction and orientation. The processes will now be discussed under the regulatory functions.

95 4.6.1.1 Partnerships with the community

Partnerships with the community entail establishing networks between the school and other stakeholders which include liaison with parents, community based organisations (CBOs), non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and businesses. Partnerships are vital because the school is the focal point of the community and a crucial constituent which provides support, skill development and enhancing academic achievement of all stakeholders in and around the school (DoE, 2000). However, Harley, Barasa, Bertram, Mattson and Pillay (2000) state that several schools consist of educators, learners and parent communities that are geographically, culturally and politically detached. This understanding reveals the fact that community principles and needs were too different and too complicated to be recognised (DoE, 2000).

In addition, the views expressed by some educators was that while teaching was identified as a vocation, the mandate imposed on educators did not equate their remuneration and that community development was not a binding task for most educators (Harley et al., 2000). Because of the impact of apartheid and current educational policies on education, the majority of educational stakeholders lack the desire and motivation to be proficient in their roles (Rembe, 2005; Msila, 2007). If educational stakeholders lack the motivation to fulfil their mandates at the micro-level, they will be unable to meet the expectations at the macro-level. The objective of the DoE is to provide quality education to all learners which should culminate in the provision of best educational practice (Peters, 2003; Swart & Pettipher, 2005).

Liaising with the external stakeholders to establish partnerships for the purpose of improving the regulatory functions, the infrastructural functions and instructional functions is the role of the SMT (DoE, 2000). The SMTs lack the knowledge and skills to execute their role (Taylor, 2011). The SMTs which consist of a group of stakeholders can undergo group mentoring (Karcher et al., 2006) to enable them to improve their practice and enhance their level of motivation to fulfil their mandate (DoE, 2000). In group mentoring practices, communities of practices become a principle that will enable a shared vision and shared identity to efficiently perform out their roles (Wenger, 1998).

96

the group of SMTs (Wenger, 1998). According to Housman and Martinez (2001), when educational stakeholders are provided with the necessary skills and tools to fulfil their roles, their perceptions towards their profession also changes. Enabling SMTs to establish partnerships with external stakeholders are crucial to the running and functionality of the school.

4.6.1.2 Staff appraisal and development

Staff appraisal at schools enables a democratic appraisal procedure for all stakeholders (DoE, 2000). Therefore, regular feedback to staff about their performance assists staff members to gauge their strengths and weaknesses about how efficiently they are performing their roles. Feedback further determines which skills are lacking and preparations can be made to enhance learning through professional development (Krug et al., 2006; Meyer & Fourie, 2004).

Staff development plans consist of stipulated in service training for all stakeholders but also meets the developmental requirements of each stakeholder (DoE, 2000). Professional development assists stakeholders to rise above their inadequacies and to keep up to date with innovative knowledge and practices (UNICEF, 2000). The role of the SGB is to ensure the provision of quality education with the support of the SMT whose role is to organise activities that support teaching and learning (DoE, 2000).

In addition, the role of the SMT is to execute professional functions such as administering teaching and learning, staff appraisal and development with the assistance of the SGB (DoE, 2000). The SGBs and the SMTs can be provided with mentoring to ensure staff appraisals are carried out efficiently. Group mentoring can be used to enable this function (Meyer & Fourie, 2004). Areas of professional development where individuals require specific skills enhancement can use coaching for individual stakeholders (Meyer & Fourie, 2004) or group mentoring can be used where a number of stakeholders require professional development within a specific area of classroom instruction or knowledge and skill acquisition (Karcher et al., 2006).

4.6.1.3 Staff organisation into groups, teams and learning networks

The South Africa Schools Act (SASA) accentuates collaboration and shared decision- making between school stakeholders. The Schools Act endorses group dynamics and

97

team building which replicates how the school is functioning (Potgieter et al., 1997). Therefore, it is vital that staff become familiar with functioning effectively as teams. These teams can include classroom teams, SMT, fundraising teams, etc. Teamwork provides the link through all systems in managing schools which assist school stakeholders to function cooperatively (DoE, 2000) and inter-dependently with each other thereby creating a shared vision and identity.

Groups and teams provide conditions for communities of practices in which groups of stakeholders share concerns and have discussions about similar needs they experience in their classrooms (Wenger, 1998). Mentoring stakeholders either one-on- one or in groups, provides the opportunity for communities of practices where stakeholders can develop a shared vision of the goals they want to achieve. When stakeholders have a shared vision of achieving improved learner outcomes, all stakeholders will collaborate and integrate their functions to achieve the goals of education.

4.6.1.4 Decision-making processes

Decision-making structures within in schools have changed to a more democratic participatory style management or self-management style. Therefore, decision-making in schools necessitate the participation of all stakeholders which require more accountability. This means that stakeholders require assistance with the process of crafting self-managing schools (DoE, 2000).

The SMT oversees the decision-making function which is to resolve problems, determine how to effectively mobilise resources and which intramural activities are important for enhancing teaching and learning (DoE, 2000). However, SMTs are not familiar with their roles and responsibilities and the maladministration of management results in a lack of leadership by principals (De Villiers, 2010; Fleisch, 2006). Group mentoring can be used to mentor groups of SMT on how to solve problems and make effective decisions with regard to the well-being of the school. According to Hargreaves (2008), enhanced leadership could create the governance structure necessary to ensure the durability and sustainability of dysfunctional schools.

98

correct planning and implementation of the regulatory functions, the infrastructural functions and the instructional functions to ensure quality teaching and learning to enable improved learner performance which is consistent with top performing schools (Pennington, 2011). Decision-making is crucial in the control and management of the financial resources of the schools (DoE, 2000).

4.6.1.5 Financial controls, budgets and fundraising

A self-managing school oversees the finances engendered by fees and fundraising as well as funding allocated to the school by the government. Trained professionals must take accountability as they are entrusted to make decisions and to manage the finances through a budget. Without this process, the school is likely to become dysfunctional as the financial controls determine the functionality of the school with regard to resources and availability of these resources (DoE, 2000). Therefore, the success of public schools is dependent on the efficient conversion of personnel budgets into what will bring about best teaching and learning (DoE, 2003).

The role of the SGB is the financial planning and the financial management of the school (DoE, 2000). The SGB‘s financial function includes raising and administering funding, keeping accurate records, preparing budgets and collecting school fees (Radoni, n.d.; DoE, 2000). SGBs must also guarantee that the budget complies with South African Schools Act 84 of 1996 and the guidelines and regulations of the DoE (Van Wyk and Lemmer, 2002 cited by Radoni, n.d.).

However, the SGB lacks the knowledge and skill to perform this function (Radoni, n.d. and Mestry, 2006). School governance is a legal responsibility which entails acquisition of particular knowledge, skills and expertise to comply with the laws and to fulfil this role (Radoni, n.d.). Therefore, SGBs can also undergo group mentoring to acquire these specific skills to draft and implement the school‘s financial policy (Mestry, 2006).

4.6.1.6 The timetable and school handbook

Timetabling is a multifaceted task. Encouraging the development of timetabling skills and empowering educators with timetabling tools is a requisite for enhancing educator utilisation (DoE, 2003).

99

All schools must have a year plan which highlights the extra-mural activities the school has incorporated. The year calendar written into the school handbook provides parents with an account of parent meetings, sports, events, fundraising activities and others activities made available to parents. This handbook is subject to change each term as the school reacts to the claims of stakeholders as new initiatives arise (DoE, 2000). Timetabling and the school handbook require the involvement, participation and decision-making of all stakeholders to ensure a well implemented plan for teaching and learning.

Teaching and learning begins with a timetable which entails the preparation for the implementation of the curriculum. A timetable describes an educator‘s practice and knowledge ability of child learning activities which reflects the learning needs of the learners. Every school should have a documented timetable by December for the following year to ensure that teaching and learning takes place as prescribed (DoE, 2000). However, many schools are not successful in completing their timetables after the school year has begun (DoE, 2000).

4.6.1.7 Managing diversity

Managing diversity in this post-apartheid South Africa has become essential for SMTs to identify and acknowledge its importance and practice within schools. The SMT must guarantee that the school environment and the school partners endorse all the positive attributes that all stakeholders bring into the school. School policies and decision-makers must reflect a culture of diversity when embarking on development of the school environment (DoE, 2000).

Harley et al. (2000) stated that educators have a difficult time practicing multicultural education when communities in which some schools are situated practice gender inequality in their households and also expect the schools to enforce gender inequality. Added to that, le Roux and Möller (2002: 184) mention that teachers cannot be expected to be effective in teaching multicultural content and working effectively with ethnically diverse student groups without being professionally prepared for this task.

100 4.6.1.8 Behaviour and codes of conduct

The role of the SGB also consists of promoting a code of conduct. Special knowledge, skills and expertise is needed for SGBs to perform the role of disciplinary matters of all stakeholders of a school (Mestry, 2006). Educators and learners must have norms and values that guide their conduct at school (DoE, 2000). Negative behaviour is sanctioned reminding educators and learners that unacceptable behaviour will not be tolerated (Fleisch, 2006).

The code of conduct must be designed and implemented with the decisions of all stakeholders being taken into consideration as top-down management no longer exist (DoE, 2000). Most schools adopt a code of conduct which should be amended on a regular basis (DoE, 2000; Radoni, n.d.). Even though corporal punishment has been abolished by the 1996 South African Schools Act, it is still rife in many schools as indicated by the President‘s Education Initiative (Harley et al., 2000). The study of the President‘s Education Initiative indicated that most of the schools exercise corporal punishment in spite of them being aware of the (South African Council of Educators) SACE code of conduct and SASA (Harley et al., 2000).

Various forms of capacity building programmes involving disciplinary practices such as behaviour, discipline, conflict resolution (Oosthuizen, 2009) and the institution of a code of conduct can be carried out through mentoring SGBs and SMTs who play a supporting role (DoE, 2000).

4.6.1.9 Staff induction and orientation

One of the roles of the SMT is to enable the process of induction and orientation for new and beginning staff members as well as those who are new to the management team. This ascertains that SMT‘s add value to the existence of the school (DoE, 2000).

Mentoring is regarded as vital to the induction of beginning educators as it prepares them for the transition from teacher preparation to in-service teaching (Evertson & Smithey, 2000). In addition, induction proffers the basis for continuous professional development (Bolam, 1995, Hargreaves & Fullan, 2000 cited by Veenman, Denessen, Gerrit & Kenter, 2001). Research indicates that properly planned and properly

101

implemented induction programmes pave the way for retention of educators, fosters positive behaviours and improves the morale towards teaching. In addition, when induction centers on the development of professional skills, it enhances the beginning educators‘ performance (Colbert & Wolff, 1992 cited by Veenman et al., 2001).

The SGB plays a crucial role with regard to the employment of new staff members as well as observing the systems and information required to enable the recruitment of new staff into the school (Radoni, n.d.). Induction programmes and mentoring programmes can help retain and recruit veteran educators (O' Neill, 2004).