Staff Reporter
The Free State Department of Education is urging community members to take part in this year’s School Governing Body (SGB) elections and ensure quality education for their children.
All public schools are expected to participate in the 2021 SGB elections set to run from March 1 to April 30.
The elections take place every three years and the term of office of the current SGBs ends in March.
The provincial education department said this year the elections will be held under the theme “Reimagining school governance under complex conditions”.
“We urge all parents and guardians to familiarise themselves with procedures and to come forward and participate in these very important processes,” said provincial education spokesperson Howard Ndaba in a statement.
The elections are viewed as the biggest elections after the national, provincial and local government polls.
“It is of critical importance that parents check if they appear in the school’s voter’s roll before the voting date,” he pointed out.
SGBs have a very important role to play in the way schools are managed and the South African Schools Act empowers communities through SGBs to be actively involved in the welfare of schools located in their areas.
“They were created to advance the democratic transformation of the schooling system and provide a platform for active participation of school communities in the decentralised decision-making process,” Ndaba explained.
“Our province’s future depends on our ability to improve the quality of our children’s education.
“This requires an effective partnership between the education department, principals and teachers and, crucially, parents and learners.”
According to the statement, SGBs are the nexus of effective partnerships in schools.
It said SGBs empower parents to become powerful players in the education of their children.
SGBs are also expected to be accountable to the school community and are tasked with ensuring that the school runs smoothly and efficiently.
Among others, SGBs are vital in:
- improving the quality of education – ensuring good governance;
- ensuring that schools serve the interests of the community and meet expectations of parents; and
- assisting in spreading the cost of education across users and society and combatting racism, sexism and all other forms of discrimination and intolerance.
Ndaba said experience has shown that schools where many parents are involved are often the best-performing schools, both academically and socially.
“We call for maximum participation of parents in these elections and urge parents to elect candidates with the relevant skills which will add value to the governing body and its school, such as legal, administrative or accounting skills,” he said.
“It is every parent’s responsibility to take an interest and have their say in the running of their children’s school to ensure that the school provides the best possible quality of education to all its learners . . .
“Don’t stand back. Get involved in your child’s schooling and make a difference.”
Ndaba said it is the duty of parents or members of the community to serve in any way they can in the SGBs in order to give “our children . . . a better future and contribute towards the strengthening of South African society”.
Those interested can make their voices heard by offering to stand in the elections as possible SGB members or by nominating the best candidates for the polls and making sure that they vote on the election day.