‘n Ontleding van beleide met betrekking tot skoolhoofde : die verandering van verantwoordelikhede
Date
2020-12
Authors
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING : Die rol wat die skoolhoof as leier en bestuurder van ’n skool speel, het oor die jare heen heelwat verander – nie net in Suid-Afrika nie, maar ook internasionaal. Uit die literatuur was dit duidelik dat die verantwoordelikhede van skoolhoofde daar vandag heel anders uitsien as drie dekades gelede.
Sedert 1990 het drastiese verandering in Suid-Afrika plaasgevind. Onderwys is geensins gespaar wat hierdie verandering betref nie, onder andere weens die potensiaal wat onderwys bied tot grootskaalse transformasie. In die vroeë negentigerjare was die belangrikste doel met beleid in die onderwyssektor die regstelling van die rasverdeelde onderwysstelsel om ’n eenvormige onderwysstelsel vir alle leerders in die land te implementeer. Hierdie potensiële oplossing tot bogenoemde probleem is in beleidsdokumente omskryf in die verwagting dat die implementering daarvan tot ’n verbetering in die onderwys sal bydra.
Hierdie studie het ’n ontleding gemaak van die beleide wat aan die verantwoordelikhede van die skoolhoof aandag skenk. Die jongste toevoeging, die Suid-Afrikaanse Standaard vir Hoofskap, sowel as ander dokumente soos die Personeeladministrasiemaatreëls en die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet 84 van 1996 wat almal aan die werksaamhede van die skoolhoof aandag skenk, is ontleed.
Daar is verder ook ondersoek ingestel na die manier waarop die verandering in die skoolhoof se verantwoordelikhede ervaar word soos duidelik uit skoolhoofde se persepsies. Na aanleiding van ’n noukeurige literatuuroorsig rakende die ervarings van skoolhoofde in Suid-Afrika sowel as ander lande wat daaglikse uitdagings betref, is ook gekyk na moontlike opleidingsgeleenthede wat hierdie uitdagings die hoof kan bied. As deel van die gevallestudie wat tydens hierdie navorsing gebruik is, is die sewe deelnemende skoolhoofde se skole twee weke lank besoek om eerstehandse ervaring op te doen van die manier waarop hulle te werk gaan tydens die nakoming van hulle daaglikse verantwoordelikhede en die invloed wat beleide daarop het.
Die studie het onder andere bevind dat die toename in beleidsdokumente nie die gewenste uitwerking op Suid-Afrikaanse skole het nie weens die komplekse posisie waarin die skoolhoofde hulle bevind. Die skoolhoof is veronderstel om kennis te neem van beleide (soos hierbo genoem) wat sy of haar verantwoordelikhede uitstippel, sowel as alle skoolverwante beleide, wette en witskrifte. Derrida se siening van dekonstruksie is in ag geneem tydens die ontleding van die verskynsel van agtergrondverwante aspekte wat die skoolhoof se potensiële werksaamhede beïnvloed.
ENGLISH SUMMARY : The role the school principal as leader and manager of a school plays has undergone significant changes over time – not only in South Africa, but also internationally. From the literature it was clear that the responsibilities of school principals today are completely different from what they were three decades ago. Since 1990, dramatic changes have taken place in South Africa. Teaching was not spared this change, among others as a result of the potential it has for large-scale transformation. In the early nineties, the most important aim in terms of policy in the teaching sector was the redress of the racially divided education system in order to implement a uniform education system for all learners in the country. This potential solution for the above-mentioned problem was defined in policy documents in the expectation that their implementation would contribute to an improvement in teaching. The current study analysed the policies addressing the responsibilities of the school principal. The latest addition, the South African Standard for Principalship, as well as other documents such as the Personnel Administrative Measures and the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, which all concern the activities of school principal, were considered. In addition, the way the change in the responsibilities of the school principal was experienced, as became clear from school principals’ perceptions, was also analysed. With reference to a careful literature study regarding the experiences of school principals in South Africa as well as abroad regarding daily challenges, the current study also considered possible opportunities for training that could address these challenges. As part of the case study employed during this research, the schools of the seven participating school principals were visited for a period of two weeks to gain first-hand experience of the way they go about performing their daily responsibilities and the influence policies have in this regard. The study found inter alia that the increase in policy documents did not have the desired effect on South African schools due to the complex position in which school principals find themselves. The school principal is supposed to take cognisance of policies (as mentioned), which outline his or her responsibilities, as well as all school-related policies, acts and white papers. Derrida’s idea of deconstruction was taken into account during the analysis of the phenomenon of context-related aspects, which have an influence on the school principal’s potential activities.
ENGLISH SUMMARY : The role the school principal as leader and manager of a school plays has undergone significant changes over time – not only in South Africa, but also internationally. From the literature it was clear that the responsibilities of school principals today are completely different from what they were three decades ago. Since 1990, dramatic changes have taken place in South Africa. Teaching was not spared this change, among others as a result of the potential it has for large-scale transformation. In the early nineties, the most important aim in terms of policy in the teaching sector was the redress of the racially divided education system in order to implement a uniform education system for all learners in the country. This potential solution for the above-mentioned problem was defined in policy documents in the expectation that their implementation would contribute to an improvement in teaching. The current study analysed the policies addressing the responsibilities of the school principal. The latest addition, the South African Standard for Principalship, as well as other documents such as the Personnel Administrative Measures and the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996, which all concern the activities of school principal, were considered. In addition, the way the change in the responsibilities of the school principal was experienced, as became clear from school principals’ perceptions, was also analysed. With reference to a careful literature study regarding the experiences of school principals in South Africa as well as abroad regarding daily challenges, the current study also considered possible opportunities for training that could address these challenges. As part of the case study employed during this research, the schools of the seven participating school principals were visited for a period of two weeks to gain first-hand experience of the way they go about performing their daily responsibilities and the influence policies have in this regard. The study found inter alia that the increase in policy documents did not have the desired effect on South African schools due to the complex position in which school principals find themselves. The school principal is supposed to take cognisance of policies (as mentioned), which outline his or her responsibilities, as well as all school-related policies, acts and white papers. Derrida’s idea of deconstruction was taken into account during the analysis of the phenomenon of context-related aspects, which have an influence on the school principal’s potential activities.
Description
Thesis (PhD)--Stellenbosch University, 2020.
Keywords
School principals -- Legal status, laws, etc. -- South Africa, Education and state -- South Africa, UCTD