Abstract
The South African government prioritises school sports for their positive impact on learners' development and educational goals. Over the period from 1994 to the present, four policies have been established to guide sports delivery in schools: Two White Papers on Sport and Recreation (1996, 2012), the School Sport Policy (2011), and the Memorandum of Understanding (2011). Despite these policies, non-compliance in schools is evident. The literature highlights distinct challenges in implementing school sports, with variations between quintiles one-to-three schools and quintiles four-to-five schools (Burnett, 2020). However, research on school sports policy implementation, especially from stakeholder perspectives, is limited. The partially mixed methods dominant status (QUAL-quant) study examined the state of school sporting resources, and the nature of inter and intra-school sports participation, and gained insight from the perspective of stakeholders on the current practices of school sports. Stakeholders of two schools (one quintile one-to-three and one four-to-five) within the uMngeni Local Municipality were included in the study. Principals (n=2), heads of sport (n=2), and school management team members (n=2) participated in semi-structured interviews whereas parent members of the school governing body (n=6) and learners (n=14) participated in semi-structured focus group discussions. Their responses were analysed thematically using ATLAS.ti version 9.1.6. Grade eleven learners (n=79) participated in structured questionnaires and their results were analysed using ATLAS.ti. The study revealed that lower quintile schools depend on national norms and standards funds, and lack sufficient resources for effective sports implementation. Conversely, higher quintile schools, enabled by school fees, allocate dedicated budgets for sports, ensuring better resources. Lower quintile schools often lack sports days, while higher quintile schools engage in inter-house programs and sports leagues. The Department of Education significantly influences sports practices in lower quintile schools, but because Department of Education guidelines sometimes hinder sports delivery, higher quintile schools focus on acquiring better resources. While some policy aspects are acknowledged, individual schools drive sports activities. Enhanced government support and intervention are therefore needed for successful school sports implementation. In addition, schools are required to be more proactive in seeking sponsorships, donations, and partnerships.
Keywords: School Sport, Public High Schools, Internal School Sport Stakeholders, Policy Implementation, Social Ecological Model.