Accountability: An essential aspect of school governance

The South African education system is still in a transformation process. Old apartheid structures and governance are objects of restructuring and transformation. The transformation of the education system is carried out to promote and uphold the founding principles of the Constitution and the fundamental rights and freedoms of every person. Among the many aspects of the education system that need to be redressed is the management of schools. In this article, the author highlights problems and issues emerging from democratisation of the management of schools. In particular, the problems emanating from accountability questions such as: Whose responsibility is it? What are the place, position and responsibilities of parents in school governance? What are their duties and responsibilities with regard to accountability? The author attempts to identify essentials and forms of accountability within the spectrum of school governance and the focus is on the accountability of parents and the accountability of principals and teachers to the school-governing body. Comments and recommendations are stated in the final section