Abstract
M. Ed.
The new government that came into power in 1994, brought with it changes to the education legislation, which emphasised the parents as important partners for schools. This partnership was formalised by the South African Schools Act (SASA), which identifies school governing bodies (SGBs) as official partners in school governance. Thus, the new structure of school governance has resulted in the development of new relationships between parents and (SGBs). Collaboration may be viewed as a significant requirement in the relationship between the principal and SGB in order for them to effectively manage their school’s financial resources.
Clearly, financial constraints can constitute one of the most significant, inhibitory factors in the creation of good, quality education in schools. Schools therefore need to ensure that financial resources are effectively managed so that quality education is sustained. As schools in South Africa are increasingly functioning as Section 21 schools, there is a stronger emphasis on financial management. However, if collaboration between the principal and SGB is not enhanced, this could ultimately affect the management of financial resources negatively. This places a heavy burden on principals, as they now need to cultivate genuine processes of collaboration in order to empower SGB members in the management of financial resources.
This study focuses on the crucial need for schools to initiate and maintain a collaborative relationship between the principal and SGB. Without this, mutual trust, teamwork, collaborative decision-making, open-communication and co-operation will be absent, and can therefore impact negatively on the management of the school’s financial resources. Further, the government’s intention to transform schools and redress past education inequalities may prove futile.