comments

2026-08-30 14:20:04 +02:00

james

No I do not

All of the above

Administrative Delays (3-Month HoD Approval Window)

2026-08-30 10:29:00 +02:00

Carla

Not fully

All of the above

Administrative Delays (3-Month HoD Approval Window)

I support the objective of improving governance, accountability and standards within South African public schools. However, I have serious concerns about aspects of the proposed regulations that appear to centralise decision-making and could unnecessarily reduce the autonomy of School Governing Bodies.

In particular, the requirement for prior approval from the provincial Head of Department before an SGB can remunerate a state-employed teacher for additional duties is likely to create unnecessary bureaucracy and delays. A potential three-month approval period is completely out of proportion to the operational requirements of schools. Extracurricular activities such as sport, cultural activities, academic support, school tours and weekend programmes frequently require decisions within days or weeks, not months.

The proposed system could also have the unintended consequence of discouraging teachers from undertaking additional activities. If teachers cannot reasonably be compensated for work outside their normal duties, schools may struggle to provide sport, cultural and academic programmes, ultimately disadvantaging learners.

I therefore recommend that the regulations adopt a risk-based approach rather than requiring prior approval for every additional payment. Clear remuneration limits, disclosure requirements, auditing, conflict-of-interest provisions and annual reporting could provide appropriate accountability without requiring thousands of individual applications to provincial departments. If prior approval is retained, a substantially shorter statutory response period should apply, with applications deemed approved if the Department fails to respond within that period.

Regarding SGB elections, I support standardisation and believe that e-voting could improve accessibility and participation. However, electronic voting must not exclude parents who lack reliable digital access or digital literacy. Appropriate safeguards are also required to ensure voter authentication, ballot secrecy, prevention of duplicate voting, protection of personal information and independent verification of results.

Any powers granted to the Head of Department to intervene in an SGB should likewise be subject to clearly defined and objective criteria. SGBs should be given written reasons, an opportunity to respond and an appropriate appeal mechanism before intervention takes place.

I support the proposed minimum standards for Teacher Development Centres, including the prohibition of pit latrines and bucket toilets. However, government should provide a realistic implementation timetable and the necessary funding to ensure that these standards can actually be achieved.

Overall, I urge the Department to ensure that these regulations strengthen accountability without creating unnecessary centralised bureaucracy. South Africa needs empowered and accountable school governing bodies, supported by effective provincial departments—not school communities that are responsible for outcomes but require government approval for routine operational decisions. The overriding consideration should always be the best interests of learners and the quality of education they receive.The proposed requirement for prior written approval from the provincial Head of Department could seriously undermine the ability of schools to provide extracurricular activities efficiently.

2026-08-30 08:42:58 +02:00

Henri

No I do not

All of the above

Administrative Delays (3-Month HoD Approval Window)

Tired of these power hungry thugs

2026-08-30 08:11:51 +02:00

Bernadette

No I do not

Administrative Delays (3-Month HoD Approval Window)

2026-08-30 00:56:34 +02:00

Georgina

No I do not

All of the above

Digital Exclusion & Security Risks in SGB E-Voting

Democratically elected parent bodies should retain the local autonomy and flexibility to reward dedicated staff for extra effort without state interference or bureaucratic vetoes