Fixing schools from the inside out

FIXING SOUTH AFRICAN SCHOOLS FROM THE INSIDE OUT

This is how I believe we can get free Education for all. And it will actually cost us less and move us forward to a more free market economy and not the type of crossover we have.

1. Do away with the difference between section 21 and section 20. In reality they have become so close that the only real difference is that in section 20, your funding lies at district level excluding the 10% that they will pay over for the day to day running of the school.

2. The SGB as it is presently constituted need a makeover as it was in originally establish to protect the former white schools to keep their identity intact. It gave the parents more control but with the understanding that if they chose the Principal well he will be able to maintain the standard of provisioning. Note I do not say Education. I have been living in a town where nearly every model C school has an astro turf. How many schools from the other old education departments currently say that they have one as well? Interesting statistics to research I may say.

3. An independent trust fund to offset the lack of funding from the state without the possibility of abuse from the school itself and not having to strictly adhere to PMFA is a good Idea but once again it is only there to serve the parents who are willing to contribute to the school of their choice based on what they provide for their child. When it come to the finding quotes for purchase from a trust fund you are allowed to use only suppliers who have been contributing to the school but only if they can match the lowest quote through proper tender processes comparing apples for apples. How did the school get so much and others so little. We do know the answer for that so I am not going to elaborate.

So schools which are in a very good positional standing at this point will always be better off than those who are not. 

4. The role of the district office is to relay all information they get from schools to the provincial government so that they can make clear decisions based on the information from schools. I do work closely with people on the development of the SASAMS program used in schools and what this will eventually be capable of is to remove a lot of pressure from Principals when it comes to submitting data. It can open up a much better relation with schools to ensure that proper learning and teaching take place instead of wasting time on fruitless information drives that get us nowhere fast.

5. The new law that lay down the minimum standards according to which schools should be built is a fine idea, but if funding determines the standards then we are messing with fate. The outcome we have seen is not pretty. The functionality of the institution is what determines the standards.

5.1 Yes they say you must have a fence and a controlled entrance. Why provide one if you cannot afford the guard or a link between the office and the guard room. Simple reason why I say this, if the school has a basic network system in place I as Principal can have immediate access of information that comes from all corners of the school.

5.1.1 All latecomers to be recorded on SASAMS at the gate. Grade head access information and no which periods have been missed. Did the child explain the reason to the office and has it been recorded so the teacher in charge of the grade can act on it and if necessary phone the parent.

5.1.2 All absentees can be recorded from the classroom and the Teacher can confirm if a child in not in class if he actually entered the gate or not or just running around the school and not being in class. 

5.2.3 Parent phone in before school the secretary or any other person can record this and again information is communicated instantly.

This is how disciple can be maintain by putting systems and procedures in place that will lead to better conduct and as a result we can will see a difference in the child's value to distinguish between what is acceptable behaviour or not. Note no punitive measure is necessary if this implemented as soon as possible and everybody adhere to the procedures that need to be followed. Yes it may sound like more work but would you rather do something now without the negative emotions then to disciple a child later when your emotions is already a little bit frayed. Would you not rather do the things you need to do sooner than do the thing that you dont want to do later.

This is but a few idea.

5.2 All schools as a basic requirement must have a fully functional intercom system to communicate to learners at the relevant times without interrupting the educational process. When schools with Nutritional programs require them to eat in class and just before break, what an ideal opportunity to make announcements. No interruption while your mouth is closed (hopefully) maybe your ears are open.

5.3 Telephone system. Yes set it up so that it is there from the first day. If you have a good internet provider the option of using a VOIP system at a much cheaper cost will save money. Money for the future we will talk about it later.

5.4 Your management structure. This includes the basic resources for managing the infrastructure and educational side of things.

5.4.1 Suitable server where all documents are recorded on. Computers in all the offices and class rooms will be a a great help. 

5.4.2 Media Centre and Library must have a computer connected to the internet and either an interactive whiteboard with a data projector. The inter-active white board is optional. Why is the necessary? If you want to grow your staff and your learners then the best to do, is through active presentations like the two that I will send you as an attachment.

5.4.3 A decent copier as well as other printers in strategic places for administration, communication purposes and preparation of class activities.

5.4.4 Network connectivity to each class ready for use is essential. A system like this can cost R300 000 but the long term benefits like the time saved to access and process information will relate to money saved.

5.4.5 Documentation for managing and leading a school.

5.4.5.1 All documents and forms must be available as hard and soft copies.

5.4.5.2 All policy documents must be available in the same format as above for investigation, discussion and approval by the SGB.

5.4.5.3 All documents and procedures related to the finances of the school must be available as well as the basic things like a lockable safe within the schools safe or in the Financial Officers Office for money collected to be deposited.

6. A school must be ready for use before any school is occupied because your discipline starts here. How well your children interact in this environment will determine their behaviour in the rest of the school. 

7.Sports fields must be establish and ready for use. Basic equipment must be part of the operational budget for a new school. Each school should have at least one bus to start with if you want to create an environment of a well functioning school. Services and replacing will be discussed later.

8. Basic equipment for general maintenance must be available to ensure that the outside appearance from day one can be maintained in terms what the public see as much as the internal what the parents and learners and everybody else that visit the school sees.

Failure to comply will set a school up for failure if it is not in place and the time that it takes to acquire these items can seriously harm the educational process of the learners who does not have the benefits presently as those who will have it in the future.

A program used in school known as SASAMS will gradually change the mindset of people to rather work smarter than more. Efficiency will only take you so far but effectiveness can take you all the way.

So the question is if this is what government can give us to start the process besides their normal input where do the rest come from. 

The governing body's composition is depended on the involvement of the following stakeholders. The principal as the appointed head of the school represents the education department. The teachers represent the teachers. Parents should be there not only to represent the children but also to represent the parents. The learners are represented by the RCL that has to be elected every year. The non-teaching staff will be represented from any staff member that is not engage in a function to maintain the appearance of the school. The other non-teaching staff should be represented by any of the general workers including the caretaker of the school.

Why this additional member. Secretaries and other staff who work directly with the teacher in aid of the learner have other privileges not always bestowed on the caretaker and the general workers. Their contracts if appointed by the SGB also will look different.

The last group of members must come from businesses that actively contribute to the school on a monthly or yearly basis as part of the additional funding model that i am proposing. Parents who are also members of the business community must understand that their roles and responsibilities will be different. They are there to represent the business community as a whole. All voting should be done on an equal basis as a school is not always a democracy as not all decision can be made through an electoral process. Certain checks and balances should be in place to ensure an effective SGB without the conflicts that currently exist in SGB and in schools.

Each section should have the same number of votes. No entity of the SGB can start of a majority of votes. Voting should never take place unless all stakeholders have been informed regarding a stalemate issue. This will facilitate a process of reaching consensus through discussion to seek 3rd alternative solution to a pressing problem an eliminate making hasty decisions when the emotions run high.

Business forms part of the school and through a monthly contribution they will be responsible for the maintaining and upgrading of the facilities of the school. Additional staff can be appointed through their contributions. Copiers’ contracts, telephone and internet contracts and the replacement of outdated equipment will be their main responsibility. Together with the staff compliment they will establish a budget to be presented to parents. Parents involvement need to change from governing to direct involvement in the development of their child's abilities, forming relationships with teachers and to support their children by attending meetings that they are called for, make provision that the attire that they wear is clean and conform to the school's code of conduct and also to hold the teachers through mediation with the principal accountable for the standard of the Education that is being provided. 

Learners are the immediate concerns of what is happening in the school. This can happen through informal meetings with the Principal and his executive and where necessary matters can be taken to the SGB for discussion or approval especially when major funds are involved.

Interaction between business and the caretaker and the general staff will be very helpful as a lot of major expenses will come from this department in the process of building a high quality institution for the community.

An official from the department should at least be present twice a year as a compulsory measure and when he is requested to attend, regarding matters related to the department outside the sphere of the Principal and his involvement with the department.

All funding from the department and the procurement should be done through the LOGIS system. This system uses the suppliers on their system to ensure that they are not employees of the state where they can directly benefit from such procurement. All ordering are done through the state should and should they provide the minimum resources to run a school effectively. This includes Textbooks and books for Literature as well as resource material and Stationery. Payment of serves to the municipality should be able to be done from the school but the funds release from where it is kept in the local district. This system as far as know does not exist and i do not know if it is possible. Payment structures should be put in place to make this possible. Funds should not be able to be accessible to any other school or to people within the department once the account is being created for the school.

Essential maintenance that is structural should be done by public works, especially when it is on a major scale.

All funding from the business community must go into a trust account and must be manage by an appointed person with a financial background in cooperation with elected members on the SGB in its new form. Clear budgets must be presented and no longer not just to the parent body but to all stake holders in the community that are now directly involved involve in the process of maintaining a well resourced and well functioning school.

Funding for sport can also come from the department of Sport as they are no longer willing to give money through the channels that they have been using. Additional funding for minor sporting activities can from the PTA through fundraising asking a voluntary monthly contribution or providing certain services on a voluntary basis. The main contributor of funds will come from business and therefore the role the school will play together with the parents and the department cannot be over emphasize and is it therefore critical that we listen to the needs and requirements of business to the issue of the values that the prospective employee brings to his business as well as the level of skills he has attained not being able or wanting to study further and can have an immediate impact in growing the employers business through the productivity he display from the skills, values and attitudes he has acquired during his years at school.

As long as we are just told what to do but have no influence on how we would like to go about doing it, it will keep us back and there will be no forward growth in our development as a nation.

It says that that we must not tell others what to do but we must show them how to do it. I will go one step further. 

"Show them what must be done then how it must done after you have given them the resources to get it done and then let them lose to do it.' - Craig Nicholson 

This is my vision of the Future.

As individuals we must become intentional in our Personal Growth.

A leader is someone that knows the way, that shows the way and that goes the way. - J C Maxwell

We must grow in our gift zone but never in our comfort zone. Sometimes it becomes necessary to stretch ourselves and take those risks so that we can evolve to the next step in our leadership journey. Too go from being great to significance and ultimately to leaving a legacy.

Live is not always about the great performances in live with no significance but rather in the little things you do to add value to others. 

Jim Collins titled his book, 'From Good to Great'. Let us move forward and accomplish great things.