Abstract
D.Ed.
The Republic of South Africa has had a democratic Constitution since 1996 (RSA, 1996 (a)). All other laws must be in accordance with the Constitution since it is the highest law in the country. Important values in which South Africa as a democratic state is based are contained in the Constitution. These values and principles, which take into account
democratic school governance, include:
Human dignity, the achievement of equality and the advancement of human rights and freedom. Non-racialism and non-sexism.The rule of law applies, in other words, the Constitution and other laws as enforced by the Courts have higher authority than
Parliament or the Government. All adults must be able to vote and there must be regular elections, a multi-party system of democratic government, accountability and
openness (Potgieter, Visser, Van der Bank, Mothata & Squelch, 1997:5).
The Constitution takes cognisance of the fact that all South African citizens have the right to basic education (RSA, 1996a:14). The Constitution also requires that school education must be transformed and democratised so that the aforementioned four values and principles are enshrined in the democratisation of education.
The installation of a democratically elected Government has transformedy of the fundamental policies in respect of education. Over time this policy changes must have effects at the level of practice and effect every institution and individual involved in the education system. These developments will have a profound effect on the formal education system at every level and must consequently impact on the structure and forms
of management in the evolution of a democratic system.A serious challenge lies ahead for the management and administration of the education system of the future. Educationists at every level of the management process must therefore understand the underlying values and principles which are set out in the policy perspectives of government. By the end of 1997, all schools should have implemented school-based
decision-making. Local school governing bodies would be responsible for
the way in which the schools are being managed and controlled. The fundamental challenge to all those in education, and especially those at school level, is the ability to organise schools so that the potential for the development of a culture of learning and teaching (COLTS) is reintroduced (Godden, Buckland, Coombe, Dladla, Madisha, Mahanjana, Thurlow, Ngcongo & McLennan: 1996:19).
The real challenge that schools face is that of change in order to meet the
needs of a new developing demoCracy and how schools should be
managed. Changing management to manage change is the essential
challenge to bring about democratic education. However, it is always
easier to design policies than to implement them and to date the changes
have been laboriously slow.