Abstract
M.Ed.
Section 34(1) of the South African Schools Act No. 84 of 1996 (Government Gazette No. 17579,
1996:24) states that "the State must fund public schools from public revenue on an equitable basis
in order to ensure the proper exercise of the rights of learners to education and the redress of past
inequalities in education provision". Although the State has legislated its intentions of funding
public schools, financial and budgetary constraints prevent it from meeting all the financial
requirements of schools. Bearing this in mind, Section 36 of the same Act states that "a
governing body of a public school must take all reasonable measures within its means to
supplement the resources supplied by the State in order to improve the quality of education
provided by the school to all learners at the school". Thus, schools - through their governing
bodies, of which the principal is a member - are being encouraged to raise funds to supplement
that which the State can provide. The State has qualified in terms of section 34(2) of the same
Act that "the State must, on an annual basis, provide sufficient information to public schools
regarding the funding referred to in subsection (1) to enable public schools to prepare their
budgets for the next financial year". In addition to this subsection which requires schools to draw
up a budget, Section 38(1) of the same Act stipulates that "a governing body of a public school
must prepare a budget each year, according to guidelines determined by the Minister of the
Executive Council, which shows the estimated income and expenditure of the school for the
following financial year". Thus, budgets have become compulsory activities in the financial
management functions of schools.