Department of Education Extranet

CALL FOR PUBLIC COMMENT ON THE DRAFT AMENDED CODE OF CONDUCT FOR SCHOOL GOVERNING BODY MEMBERS

School Governing Bodies (SGB) are statutory bodies of parents, educators, non-teaching staff and learners (from Grade 8 or higher) who seek to work together to promote the well-being and effectiveness of the school community and thereby enhance learning and teaching. There are currently 5 898 SGB members of which 3 223 are parents in our public schools within our Province who were elected during the countrywide SGB Elections of 2018 and some of whom were elected during subsequent by-elections at schools where SGB vacancies had occurred. The core functions of a governing body is to work in partnership with management in setting and monitoring the school’s mission, purpose, direction, priorities and strategies within the boundaries of its constitution and legal obligations. In short, the SGB has to perform an oversight responsibility, promote the best interest of the school and strive to ensure its development through the provision of quality education for all learners.

The current Northern Cape Provincial Code of Conduct for SGB members (Notice 27 of 2005) was promulgated in September 2005 by the then MEC, Mr. Archibald Lucas and was never reviewed. The purpose of this Code is to establish a disciplined and purposeful school environment dedicated to the improvement and maintenance of a quality governance structure at all public school in the Province.

The period spanning from 2005 to date has been characterised by a spate of systemic challenges within our Province relating to unethical behaviour of school governing body members. This lead to the ill-informed and illegal disruption of schooling (particularly for our previously disadvantaged communities) which violates the right to education and invariably impacts negatively on the quality of learning and teaching in our public schools.

Consultation with sector partners including School Governing Body Association/Federations in an effort to collectively and collaboratively mediate the scourge of unethical behaviour by school governing body members necessitated the review and amendment of the Northern Cape Code of Conduct for School Governing Body members. The draft amended Code of Conduct for School Governing Body members are open for public comments until the 11th of October 2019.

The amended code of conduct for members of a school governing body of a public school ["the Code"] has been determined in terms of Section 18A of the South African Schools Act 84, of 1996 which states that ‘the Member of the Executive Council (MEC) must, by notice in the Provincial Gazette, determine a code of conduct for the members of the governing body of a public school after consultation with associations of governing bodies in that province, if applicable.

The main purpose for the amendment stem from the changes in policy environment and strengthening the due processes to speedily resolve alleged misconduct cases reported to the Department.

We also had to draw distinction between the general code of conduct for governors and what are being regarded as serious misconduct as well as conduct relating to financial management.

The amended Code applies to all members of SGBs of public schools in the Northern Cape. All members are expected to abide by and to respect the provisions of this Code. All SGB members must be made aware of the contents of the amended Code and copies thereof must be made available to members. We also welcome comments from the broader public. Electronic copy of the Code is available on the Northern Cape Department of Education Website: ncdoe.ncpg.gov.za.

All members of SGBs are invited to individually and/or collectively familiarise themselves with the content of the amended code and forward all comments/inputs to the office of the Head of the Department of Education in the Province, Mr. G.T Pharasi at the following contact details:

The Northern Cape Department of Education

The Head of the Department, Mr. G.T Pharasi

156 Barkly Road

Homestead

Kimberley

8301

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