Abstract
Rural areas in South Africa are characterised with vast vacant land, minimal buildings/homestead and a decreasing population due to limited work opportunities. Villages in South Africa are known for being impoverished despite the rich natural diversity, indigenous culture, tourism and agricultural wealth that these areas often have. The majority of people in these communities live in below the bread line, often with little to no way of escaping from the brutal cycle. However, the education system has been used as a tool to improve standards of living for many generations and when linked to the various assets that exist in rural communities (such as indigenous knowledge systems, agricultural skills), it offers learners opportunity to uplift themselves as well as their communities, to build wealth and create job opportunities for others. Laws and policies within education have been designed to overcome discrimination amongst South Africans but, these are not being adhered to and policies are not being implemented effectively. The violation of these rights decreases the probability of citizens living balanced lives within the country. When schools furthermore fail to adhere to educational law in their leadership, they are faced with a greater chance of running dysfunctional schools that do not in any way assist the community in improving its position in society. This qualitative case study conducted in a rural area of Limpopo, examined the extent of which school leaders use educational law to improve schools’ functionality through law and order through semi-structure interviews. The findings reveal that stakeholders are not made aware of educational law matters, policies and other legal formalities that affect schools in general. This non-compliance results from a lack of intervention from the principal as it seems that principals who are unable to enforce law in the management of schools face more challenges that hinder learners from achieving their potential and transforming their lives. Learners in rural communities are not receiving the equal benefits they deserve under the South African constitution. This research shows the functionality of schools could be achieved through consistent use of educational law.
Key words: Education Law; Policy; Legislation; Equality; Rural areas, Accountability, Transformational leaders, Socio-economic factors.