The perceptions of role players in Gauteng public schools regarding distributed governance

Abstract: The purpose of this study is to reveal, that as opposed to what is implied in the South African Schools Act (SASA -Act 84 of 1996), the governance of public schools in South Africa, still appears to be achieved top-down. Currently public school governance is centralized, while the role of parents in decision-making is still minimal. The State makes key decisions, while other role-players namely School Governing Bodies (SGB) are expected to be passive participants. The main objective of this research study, is an analysis of distributed or shared governance of public schools in Gauteng (a province in South Africa) and the perceptions of the School role-players regarding amendments to policies which impact on the governance of the school. This study employed both quantitative and qualitative methods to analyse data and was thus a Mixed method study. A questionnaire containing both open and closed ended questions was distributed to schools in the various Education districts in Gauteng. The questionnaire and semi-structured interviews with school role players involved in school governance provided written and recorded verbal data. The quantifiable data and the qualitative data obtained was then analysed simultaneously. The quantitative data in the form of descriptive statistics corroborated the qualitative results of the study, it revealed a number of contentious bureaucratic practices and a penchant for increased centralisation of the Education system by the State, which act to constrain distributed school governance. The most prominent undemocratic practices in the system inter alia include: • the over-politicisation of schools by the dominant teachers’ union- the South African Democratic Teachers’ Union (SADTU); • the bureaucratic appointment of educators; • usurping SGBs authority over learner admissions to schools, by Education officials, • the re-centralisation of financial management at schools declared “No fee” schools...D.Ed. (Education Management)Grobler, B.R., Prof