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The School Governing Body of Hendrik Louw Primary School

The School Governing Body (SGB) is a statutory body of parents, educators and non-teaching staff who seek to work together to promote the well-being and effectiveness of the school community and thereby enhance learning and teaching.

The SGB is responsible for the governance of the school as determined.

The goal is to hold executive leaders to account for the educational performance of the school and the learners, and the effective and efficient performance management of staff members. The SGB oversees the financial performance of the school and ensuring that the funds are well spent.

The South African Schools Act gave parents and teachers the right to form school governing bodies and to set policies regarding language, religious instruction, school fees and a code of conduct for learners.

What are the functions of the SGB?

  • To promote the best interests of the school;
  • To adopt a mission statement with the beliefs and values of the school;
  • To adopt a constitution for the school governing body;
  • To decide the times of the school day;
  • To administer the school property, buildings and grounds;
  • To encourage parents, learners, educators and other staff to offer voluntary services;
  • To recommend on the appointment of educators in the school to the provincial education department;
  • To allow the school premises to be used by the provincial education department;
  • To allow community organisations to use the schools premises

Legislation:

The relevant information regarding the School Governing Body can be found in the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. We would like to refer to the following sections contained therein:

  • Chapter 3 Public Schools (aa12-33)
  • Chapter 4 Funding of Public Schools (aa 34-44)
  • Chapter 6 Transitional provisions (aa 52-57)
  • Chapter 7 General Provisions (aa58-64)
  • Schedule 2 Amendment of the Employment of Educators Act, 1994, by Section 63
  • Regulations and related material in terms of the South African Schools Act 84 of 1996
  • National Education Policy Act 27 of 1996
  • Policies in terms of the National Education Policy Act 27 of 1996
  • Employment of Educators Act 76 of 1998
  • Personnel administration measures
  • Bill of Rights: Chapter 2 of the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa, 1996
  • WCED Legislation

To provide for a uniform education system for the organisation, management and financing of all schools; to repeal certain laws relating to schools; and to provide for the specific educational needs of the province.

Activities of all governing bodies

  1. Subject to this Act and the South African Schools Act, the governing body of a public school must—
    1. promote the best interests of the school
    2. and strive to ensure its development through the provision of quality education for all learners at the school;
    3. adopt a constitution; develop the mission statement of the school;
    4. adopt a code of conduct for learners at the school;
    5. support the principal, educators and other staff of the school in the performance of their professional activities;
    6. abide by any action of the Head of Department in terms of section 16 of the Act on the Employment of Educators to deal with the incompetence of a principal or educator to carry out their duties in an efficient manner;
    7. determine the times of the school day in accordance with any applicable conditions of employment of staff members at the school;
    8. administer and control the school's property, and buildings and lands occupied by the school, including residences, but the exercise of this right may not in any way interfere with the implementation of a decision by the Provincial Minister or the Head of Department in terms of any law or policy does not interfere or otherwise obstruct it;
    9. encourage parents, learners, educators and other staff of the school to provide voluntary services to the school;
    10. recommend the appointment of educators at the school to the Head of Department, subject to the Employment of Educators Act and the Labor Relations Act, 1995 (Act 66 of 1995);
    11. recommend to the Head of Department the appointment of non-educator staff at the school, subject to the Public Service Act, 1994 (Proclamation 103 of 1994), and the Labor Relations Act, 1995;
    12. make the recommendation contemplated in paragraph (k), within the time frames contemplated in section 6 (3) (l) of the Act on the Employment of Educators;
    13. at the request of the Head of Department, allow the reasonable use under fair circumstances as determined by the Head of Department of the facilities of the school for educational programs not offered by the school;
    14. perform all other activities imposed on the governing body by or under this Act or the South African Schools Act; and
    15. perform other activities in accordance with the South African Schools Act, as determined by the National Minister by notice in the Government Gazette, or by the Provincial Minister by notice in the Provincial Gazette.1.
  2. The governing body may permit the reasonable use of the facilities of the school for community, social and school fund-raising purposes, subject to such reasonable and fair conditions as the governing body may determine, which shall not include the levying of fees or rates payable to the school may include coincidence.
  3. The governing body can join a voluntary association that represents governing bodies of public schools.
  4. Subject to this Act, the Labour Relations Act, 1995, and any other applicable law, a public school may introduce posts for educators and employ educators in addition to the employment status established by the Provincial Minister in terms of section 3 (1) of the Act on the Employment of Educators is determined.
  5. Subject to this Act, the Labour Relations Act, 1995, and any other applicable law, a public school may introduce posts for non-educators and employ non-educator staff in addition to the employment status established in terms of the Public Service Act, 1994, be determined.
  6. An educator and a non-educator who is appointed to a position established in terms of subsection (4) or (5) must comply with the requirements set out in terms of this Act, the Labor Relations Act, 1995, and any other applicable law for employment at public schools.
  7. [Subsection is at art. 17(a) of Act 4 of 2018 is deleted.]
  8. The staff envisaged in subsections (4) and (5) must be employed in accordance with the basic values ​​and principles mentioned in section 195 of the Constitution, and the factors that are taken into account in the appointments must include, but is not limited to—
    1. the competence of the candidate;
    2. the principle of fairness;
    3. the need to right wrongs of the past; and
    4. the need for representation
  9. When the annual budget as contemplated in section 38 of the South African Schools Act is submitted, the governing body of a public school must provide sufficient details of any positions contemplated in terms of subsections (4) and (5), including of the estimated costs relating to the appointment of personnel in such posts, and the manner in which it is proposed that such costs will be borne.
  10. Notwithstanding section 60 of the South African Schools Act, the State is not liable for any act or omission at a public school arising from its contractual responsibility as the employer towards staff who in terms of subsections (4) and (5) was not appointed.
  11. The Provincial Minister may, by notice in the Provincial Gazette, determine norms and standards regarding the funds used for the appointment of personnel mentioned in subsections (4) and (5), but such norms and standards may not be interpreted as should the State be a co-employer of such personnel. [Art. 21A is at s. 12 of Act 7 of 2010 inserted.] [Subsec. (11) is at art. 17(b) of Act 4 of 2018 substituted.]

Committees                  

  1. A governing body may establish one or more committees, which, subject to the directives of that governing body, may perform the activities determined by the governing body.
  2. A committee of a governing body consists of one or more members of that governing body or one or more other persons who are not members of the governing body.
  3. One of the members of a governing body is designated by that governing body as chairman of the committee.
  4. A governing body is not relieved of an activity assigned to a committee of that governing body in terms of this section.
  5. A governing body may at any time establish, dissolve or reconstitute a committee referred to in subsection (1).

Remuneration of members of governing bodies and committees of governing bodies

  1. No member of a governing body or committee of a governing body may be compensated in any way for the performance of his or her duties.
  2. Necessary expenses by a member of a governing body or committee of a governing body in the performance of his or her duties may be reimbursed by the governing body.

We are proud to announce our newly appointed School Governing Body who will serve from March 2024 until March 2027.

Front row, from the left
Miss Sebastine de Jongh
Mr Charl Pretorius (Vice Chairperson)
Rev Samantha Chamberlain (Chairperson)
Mrs Selma Boshoff (Treasurer)
Mr Jacques Horne (Principal)

Back row from left:
Mrs Matileze Venter
Mr Daniel Botha
Mrs Franci de Jager
Mrs Liesbet de Jongh
Mrs Anda Theunissen
Mr Herman de Bruyn
Mrs Nichola Roberts (Secretary)