Abstract
To address the historical imbalances and inequities caused by apartheid, the government implemented policies after the 1994 democratic elections in South Africa that aimed to alleviate unfairness in school management and governance. The government’s efforts included removing barriers to learning and decentralising school governance. The government implemented the South African Schools Act (SASA) No. 84 of 1996, among other measures. The SASA grants schools, particularly no-fee public schools, the authority to independently govern their schools, with financial resources provided by the government. The decentralisation of school governance to parents facilitated this outcome. While the SASA outlines the roles, responsibilities and expectations of parents, there seems to be a lack of emphasis on ensuring equal representation from the parent component. The school governing bodies (SGB) constituency consists of the school principal, democratically elected parents, educators, supporting staff and secondary school learners. Such members are eligible to become stakeholders in the SGB. Despite extensive research conducted both locally and internationally on the effectiveness of SGBs and parental involvement, there remains a gap in researching women stakeholders’ participation or involvement in SGBs. This study thus explores the experiences and perceptions of women stakeholders involved in SGBs in Soweto, Gauteng Province, South Africa and the implications for school improvement. This study acknowledges gender equality and women’s empowerment as fundamental pillars of inclusivity and markers of progress, given their designation as one of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). Following this and the research phenomenon, the study used empowerment theory as its theoretical framework. The qualitative research approach within an interpretivist paradigm was used to guide data collection and analysis. This study used a case study research design, specifically focusing on six cases. These cases consisted of three public primary schools and three public secondary schools, no-fee schools. A total of 18 women stakeholders were purposefully selected to participate in this study. The data was generated using semi-structured individual interviews, as well as two focus group interviews. Semi-structured individual interviews were held with 12 participants, while the first and the second focus group interview had three participants each. Each of the six identified schools had woman principal, a current woman parent serving in the SGB, and a former woman parent who had previously served in the SGB, as participants. An inductive analysis was done on the collected data. The procedure involved analysing specific insights and observations to identify
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patterns, themes, and underlying structures, without any preconceived notions, in order to derive meaning from the collected data.
The findings of this study indicated that women’s experiences in SGB vary across schools. Certain women stakeholders acknowledge successes, while others acknowledge failures. Despite the circumstances, the participants recognised the importance of empowering women to enable them to make use of their capabilities for meaningful involvement in SGBs. The presence of women in SGBs was shown to have a positive and significant impact on the possibilities for school improvement. Women stakeholders in SGBs have displayed the ability to facilitate the establishment of associations that supports school improvement. Yet, the involvement of women in SGBs is hindered by various challenges, resulting in suppression by male counterparts and also having no influence or voice during school governance meetings. Furthermore, the prevalence of high illiteracy rates among women stakeholders involved in SGBs poses a significant challenge in proposing effective strategies. Despite their eagerness to acquire knowledge, they are faced with limited prospects for personal growth and advancement. Parents had the belief that it was the responsibility of principals to take the leadership role in providing them with information regarding laws and legislation pertaining to the governance and improvement of schools. They perceivd that there was a lack of sufficient information being provided to them. However, it is evident that women exhibited qualities of empathy and enthusiasm, thus, indicating their inclination to continue serving on the SGB. Based on the study’s findings which were derived from conversations and narratives of participants, strategies were proposed. These strategies are aimed at cultivating collaborative relationships to enhance school improvement. These strategies encompassed establishing connections with both the school and the wider community, fostering the development of a cohesive school culture and shared objectives, engaging in cooperative and collaborative efforts with all relevant stakeholders, and promoting inclusivity and diversity through reciprocal support. The aforementioned measures or strategies were suggested with the aim of affording women the chance to engage in school governance without experiencing apprehension over discriminatory practices.
Keywords: no-fee public schools; school governance; school improvement; women empowerment.