My name is Sindiswa Zondo who is a teacher of Natural Sciences at Phakathi Secondary School. I am currently registered and working on a full research thesis with the University of South Africa. The title of the thesis is: SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES IN THE
FORMULATION AND IMPLEMENTATION OF THE CODE OF CONDUCT FOR LEARNERS: CASE STUDIES OF TWO SCHOOLS IN DURBAN, KWAZULU-NATAL
This research project will be conducted over six months to allow me to have enough time to visit and interact with the participants. The project will commence from 1 April 2015 to 30 September 2015 and the following schools will be used to conduct research: Phakathi Secondary School and Isizinda Secondary School
The study will use interviews, observations and document reviews, Responses will be treated with confidentiality and pseudonyms will be used instead of the actual names. Participants will be contacted in time for interviews, and they will be randomly selected to participate in this study. Participation will always remain voluntary which means that participant have a choice to withdraw from the study for any reason, anytime if they so wish without any penalties. These individual interviews will be are tape recorded and then transcribed. I give you my assurance that the information given me by your child will be confidential and anonymous. I cannot tell other people about the personal detail of our discussion and I cannot mention their names. I can however use their information and those of others in a way that is not recognized as information of one particular person.
In the light of the above I humbly request your child to take part in my study
Should you encounter any problems during this research project, please feel free to contact me using the following contact details: Sindiswa Zondo at 0712442886 or
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[email protected]. In addition, please feel free to contact my study supervisor Prof Vusi Mncube at [email protected] or at 0765625104
Should you agree to allow your child to take part in this project, please complete, sign and return the attached declaration form back to me. Tear off the declaration form along the line below
Thanking you in advance Miss Sindiswa Zondo,
163 Declaration
I ……….. (Full name of the parent/guardian) hereby confirm that I understand the contents of this letter and the nature of the research project. I allow my child to participate in the research project and I agree to the recording of the interviews. I understand that my child will be at liberty to withdraw from the project should he/she so desires.
Signature of parent/guardian: --- Date---
164 Appendix I: Interview schedule (English)
Interview schedule for members of school governing bodies 1. Does the school have the code of conduct for learners?
2. Do all stakeholders of the school participate in the formulation of the code of conduct? (Parents, learners and teachers)
3. How does each stakeholder participate in the formulation of the code of conduct for learners?
4. Why do school governing bodies participate the way they do in the formulation of the code of conduct for learners?
5. Does the school follow the code of conduct when disciplinary measures are taken against misbehaving learners? (Explain how.)
6. Is there any committee dealing with the discipline of learners in the school? (What is this committee called and how does it operate?)
165 Appendix J: Interview schedule (IsiZulu)
1. Ngakube isikole sinalo uhla lwemigomo noma imithetho yokuziphatha kwababafundi? 2. Ngakube wonke amalunga ebhodi yesikole ayalibamba yini iqhaza ekukwenziweni kohla
lwemigomo yokuziphatha kwabafundi na? (Abazali, abafundi kanye nothisha kumbe nothishanhloko)?
3. Ilunga ngalinye lilibamba kanjani iqhaza ekwakhiweni kohla lwemigomo yokuziphatha kwabafundi nokuqinisekisa ukuthi iyalandelwa na?
4. Kungani ilunga ngalinye lebhodi yesikole libamba iqhaza ngalendlela abalibamba ngayo. ? 5. Ngabe isikole siyayilandela yini imigomo ebekiwe uma kuqhondiswa izigwegwe
abafundi?
6. Likhona yini ikomidi elibhekelene nokuqondiswa kwezigwegwe abafundi esikoleni, uma likhona libizwa ngokuthi lithini. Kanti futhi lisebenza kanjani?
166 Appendix K: Observation schedule
This observation schedule is aimed at observing the formal meetings of disciplinary committee of the school governing bodies
When attending the formal meetings of these committees I will focus on the following: Listen to what participants say and watch what they do
I will take extensive notes - what will be included in the note-taking will be: What was said?
The details of who was speaking How long the discussion took
The seating plan of the members in the meeting The speaking turns
Contribution by each member of the committee
Further, I will observe the following: Participation by each stakeholder member Representation of stakeholders in such meetings Prevalence of issues of democracy in such meetings
Prevalence of issues of social justice there in such meetings, observing whether the following issues taken into consideration: gender, religion, diversity, rights of learners, freedom of expression, sexual orientation, etc.
The main observation to be made is whether schools follow the code of conduct when in disciplining learners in the school
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Appendix L: Documents review schedule-Documents to be reviewed
Code of conduct for learners
Documents containing cases of disciplinary actions against learners South African Schools Act 84, 1996
168 Appendix M: Language clearance certificate