Related Sections
1
INTRODUCTION
2
TYPES OF SCHOOLS
3
SCHOOL GOVERNING BODIES (SGBs)
4
Functions of SGBs
5
Who sits on a SGB?
6
Rules guiding SGBs
7
Responsibilities of SGBs
8
The Basic Education Laws Amendment Act (BELA) – Impact on SGBs
9
Building capacity for SGB members
10
Additional powers that can be given to SGBs
11
Disclosures of members of SGBs
12
Prefects and Representative Councils of Learners (RCLS)
13
ADMISSION OF LEARNERS TO SCHOOLS
14
Government policy on admissions
15
Documents that learners should produce to be admitted to a public school
16
Process for admission to a public school
17
Refusing to admit a learner to a school
18
Appeal against a refusal to admit a learner to a school
19
SCHOOL FEES
20
Exemptions from school fees
21
EDUCATORS AND DOING BUSINESS WITH THE STATE
22
DISCIPLINE IN SCHOOLS
23
Kinds of punishment
24
Taking disciplinary action against a learner
25
Taking disciplinary action against an educator for misusing disciplinary measures
26
SEXUAL HARASSMENT AND ABUSE IN SCHOOLS
27
Reporting sexual harassment if a victim is a learner
28
Reporting sexual harassment if a victim is a staff member
29
Child Protection Register and Sexual Offenders Register
30
LANGUAGE IN SCHOOLS
31
Draft policy on the introduction of African languages in schools
32
TRANSPORT IN SCHOOLS
33
UNIVERSITIES AND TVET COLLEGES
34
Applying to go to a University or TVET college
35
NSFAS Bursary
36
PROBLEMS
37
Problem 1: Parents cannot afford to pay school fees
38
Problem 2: Learners are refused admission to a school because of unpaid school fees
39
CHECKLIST: Regulations for the exemption of parents from payment of school fees

Who sits on a SGB?

There are three groups represented on a governing body:

  • Elected members who can be parents of learners at the school, educators at the school, staff members who are not educators, such as secretaries and gardeners and/or learners at the school who are in grade 8 or above (they must be elected by the representative council of learners, which is made up of class representatives)
  • School principal
  • Optional co-opted members who don’t have the right to vote, for example, members of the community, or former learners with specific expertise like accounting.

The number of parents on a governing body must be one more than half of all of the members who may vote. Parents who are employed at a school can only be elected as a representative of staff members not as a representative of parents.