School Governance in the New South Africa

This article examines the early experience of the school governing bodies established in South Africa following the 1996 South African Schools Act. It relates the emergence of school governance to wider issues of democracy and participation and assesses the composition of governing bodies, notably the inclusion of learners. Governing bodies' powers include provision to set fees, subject to parental approval, and the paper examines how this requirement impacts on the resources available to different types of school, and the implications for equity and equality. Governing bodies also determine their own admissions policies, and the paper explores how this provision has led to school populations differentiated by class and race. The relationships between lay governors and school principals are examined to see if the Act's plan to separate governance and professional management has been achieved in practice. The paper concludes that, despite the significant difficulties facing the educational system in South Africa, governing bodies provide a good prospect of enhancing local democracy and improving the quality of education for all learners.