Alex residents are urged to elect only trustworthy, morally upright and professional people to school governing bodies (SGB) in order to improve management and the quality of education at schools.
This was said by a member of the Gauteng Provincial Legislature for Alex, Godfrey Tsotetsi, as elections for the SGBs are conducted in March every three years. They are the third largest poll after local government and national elections. The tenure for outgoing SGBs ended 28 February and the elections conducted by the Department of Education, assisted by the Independent Electoral Commission, will end on 31 March countrywide.
The Department of Education has urged parents to participate actively and make their voices heard in the governance of their schools held under the theme, ‘Be Active, Be Principled, Vote Well’. It said parents’ involvement will ensure governance that acts in the best interest of the school and children, bring quality education, support principals with financial administration and school maintenance, and recommend suitable staff.
According to the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, only biological parents and legal guardians of children at a school, educators, other staff members and pupils in secondary level can elect members to positions. Gauteng MEC for Education, Panyaza Lesufi urged them to choose professionals with among others, bookkeeping, accounting, management and legal skills essential to encourage pupils, teachers and staff members to obtain quality results.
Tsotetsi said Alex was lagging behind in this regard and attributed the challenge partly to the quality of past SGBs. “They presided over reported maladministration and corruption for self-enrichment from government grants and donations and failed to support schools in producing distinctions,” Tsotetsi claimed.
He added that, in keeping with Ubuntu principles, a child is raised by a village, and the children’s interests should be prioritised by electing credible and trustworthy individuals who will make the school environment conducive for quality teaching and learning, inject professional management, and draft policies that will enable teachers to concentrate on their teaching duties.
The policies, he stressed, will ensure discipline which has broken down in some schools where crime, gangsterism and drug peddling thrive, and where dangerous weapons are confiscated regularly. “A report on these problems will be shared with schools, districts and residents soon for deliberation on strategies to restore order in schools.”
Also, he urged families to inculcate discipline in children at home. “Principals shouldn’t be worrying about drugs which are in the community and provided to children by known neighbours.
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“Morals and values should be restored by parents who shouldn’t be drinking in public, should protect children from being raped, including in some instances by teachers and relatives, and the streets should be made unsafe from criminals.”
He urged churches to include morals, values and respect in their sermons.
“The moral regeneration movement should be revived to restore good values for children to emulate and to stop social and other crimes which threaten our freedom.
Details: Godfrey Tsotetsi 079 527 9400.
