Interaction with SGB members of other schools Involvement with - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Parent to 4 girls who have gone through the South African public  education system Mentor of numerous girl and boy children  Member of School Governing Bodies in 4 schools, since 1996  Interaction with SGB members of other schools  Involvement with parents in a Transnet Foundation learner development  programme Interactions in education forums and space  Extensive consultation with key stakeholders  Research findings 

 Education has been declared a key national priority  This calls for action from each and every one of us: government, teachers, learners, parents, education activists, NGO’s, corporates and all community members  Each of us has to find a role no matter how small because its the collective impact that matters

South African Schools Act of 1996 legislates the involvement of parents in  governance of schools However does not replace individual parental responsibility!!  Governing bodies are made up of persons interested in education and the  school and are expected to promote the best interest of schools Adopt a constitution, develop a mission for the school, code of conduct for  learners Take care of the school’s property, buildings and grounds  May appoint teachers and pay their salaries  May apply to HOD for taking on additional functions such as ABET classes 

Academic work of learners • Provide the necessary resources • Ensure that the child attends school • Create space and time for the child to do homework • Regularly check school work • Sign assignments and comment on progress of child • Attend parent meetings • Interact with teachers regarding the child’s work Governance of the school/programme • Elect SGB members • Become part of SGB • Identify school committees to participate in • Commit to and carry out tasks assigned • Report back to the committee as expected • Active involvement in the governance of the school

Volunteerism • Participate in various volunteer activities organised by the school • Gives you a foot in the door!!! Academic work of the school • Assist with learners with special needs (reading, writing and assisting learners with homework • Drop in centres for learners - an environment for learners to do homework and are assisted with homework

Executive Committee of the School Governing Body School Parent Governing Association Body Finance Fundraising PA Committee committee Subcommittees

Parents encouraged to get involved in different activities with different  impact (low, medium and high) All parent participation is valued  Activities are spread over the school term to avoid congestion of  activities SGB raised funds for the extension of the swimming pool  Current fundraising activity is for a state of the art science centre  Parent Association engages in numerous fundraising activities and  other activities thr9ughout the year – Also serves as a platform for all parents to participate in events such as action days, Parktown Social etc.

Active SGB made up of mainly parents  Established a relationship with the Indian community led by Oom Jay – Result is  funding for library for the school Organizes Saturday school for the foundation phase and for the local high schools  and recruits volunteers to teach at the Saturday school. Learners provided with lunch sponsored and prepared by community members Created monthly parent/education book check commitment  Expanded Grade R class to two  School contracts given to local businesses who plough back to the school  community of Alexandra High sense of ownership of the school which enhanced security of the school 

 Quarterly stakeholder engagement meetings for feedback & critical engagement  Teacher parent interaction on individual learner performance  Manager parent interaction on learners social problems and academic performance  Parent committees, parent volunteers for holiday camps (caregivers)  Parent lifeskills workshops  Continued learning of the children at home

 Parents get to learn more about how the school operates; challenges faced and how these are dealt with and what they can do to support the education system  Parents enabled to continue their socialization role at home to complement work done by the school /programme  Parents are empowered to make informed decisions about the school/programme  Parents become ambassadors for the school /programme  Become change agents for the education system

Few parents get involved, some due to low levels of literacy  Parents with specific expertise not willing to get involved; e.g. financial  expertise Those involved end up in many committees/activities  Parents who are not involved look from the outside and criticise and  may harbour negative sentiments about the school In extreme situations, parents move their children to other schools  Perception about teachers’ lack of interest in the role of the SGB  High union militancy in schools, especially in the underprivileged areas 

 Community mobilization and involvement an important ingredient for advocating for change to the education system  Value of parents should be emphasised throughout the different school levels  Valued parents are most likely to participate in activities  Take heed when parents come up with suggestions for action  Give feedback to parents  Individual feedback to parents regarding their child’s academic work

 Turn schools into hubs of activities even for community events to heighten ownership and enhance security of the school  Breakdown of parent activities: high level, medium and low level activities should be seen as value adding to the school community  Parental involvement in the activities of the school to be acknowledged  More parental involvement in school activities such as debate, sports, cultural days

Education is the responsibility of all SA citizens  It takes a village to raise a child  Each of us is part of that village and should seek to make a meaningful contribution  Find your role and play it to the best of your ability  Derive satisfaction from your involvement  Leave a lasting legacy for the younger generation  As we gracefully age and hand over the baton we should have leveled the ground –  lest the younger generation points fingers at us for being the generation that failed them (the youth) Prof Kgethi Setati said we have survived bad education. I concur – Lets ensure that  our children are recipients of a meaningful education.

 Eleanor M. Lemmer. 2007. Parent involvement in teacher education in South Africa  Create South Africa Policy Brief 4. May 2011. Parent participation and meaningful access in South African Schools  South African Schools Act of 1996