MBOMBELA – Managing of schools in the Bohlabela district is set to change for the better after its principals, heads of departments and circuit managers received training on how to manage and develop their schools professionally.
A total of 149 principals, 78 heads of department (HOD) and four circuit managers attended various courses in the professional management development programme (PMDP) offered by the University of KwaZulu-Natal and Performance Solutions Africa (PSA).
The courses included curriculum management, school governing, financial management and people’s management for principals while their HODs received training on curriculum coverage and other skills. PSA’s rep explained that the project was aimed at helping the trainees to bring about positive change in their schools.
Ms Nobelungu Nyambi likened the programme to democracy and service delivery. “We learnt that there is also service delivery for schools, as circuit managers we have to learn how to deliver at our school, we learnt how to behave and control disputes and fight in schools,” she said.
Nyambi added the programme had taught participants to be independent instead of the normal financial dependence on government.
“We learnt how to engage with the private sector in asking for donations, and how to work smart and produce quality work. We will certainly not be labelled as an underperforming region again,” she said.
Mr Eric Mogane said principals had learnt the importance of quality public education, adding that the programme marked the end of an era and the beginning of a new one in their leadership. Their schools would no longer be run on impulse due to poor planning, poor focus, unaccountability and poor management.
“The programme taught us what to do, we were given tools and were taught by highly experienced and informed tutors who simplified the running and management of schools to us,” he said.
“Professional dignity had been restored and absenteeism would now be a thing of the past.
“This is the dawning of a purposeful, focused curriculum deliverance where time will be valued and utilised to ensure maximum value is obtained,” added Mogane, adding that the training had inspired them to think first about the future of children.
“We learned to think about the future of children and to be concerned about their teaching, hence leaving unions to negotiate our salaries and working conditions.”
Speaker after speaker emphasised that schools needed to produce responsible and patriotic citizens of the country.
The department’s MEC, Ms Reginah Mhaule said, “It pleases the department to see that the programme has indeed started bearing fruit and these circuits will change for the better,” she said. She further made a clarion call to learners to consider teaching as a career.
She added that similar training would also be provided to other schools.
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