You can hire the best teachers – even graduates from the world-famous Harvard or Oxford universities – but as long as they do not work in an environment with values to guide them, then do not expect them to perform miracles and produce straight A’s.
This is the moral of the statement which Vikeshni Vandayar, Legal and Governance Specialist at the Institute of Directors in Southern Africa (IoDSA) has issued in the wake of the shocking reports of corruption at Glenvista High School Johannesburg.
Vandayar comments: “Schools need effective leadership, particularly by the school governing bodies (SGBs) in guiding ethical “Governance principles can be used to guide the appropriate behaviour to ensure decisions are made in the best interests of the school and its stakeholders.” The IoDSA is assisting the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS) FEDSAS in drafting a school governance guide.
On the difference that IoDSA will bring, (IoDSA), Paul Colditz, CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS), says: “Improved governance in schools has the potential to significantly boost the quality of the education offered at a particular public school, expand its growth and enhance its financial stability.”
He adds: “One of the biggest governance pitfalls that leads to instances of maladministration in schools, is that often members of the SGB believe that the requirements of good governance does not apply to them because they are acting on a voluntary basis or not remunerated.”
