1. Introduction

The purpose of this letter is to remind principals of the essential duties that need to be completed by the end of January 2008.

2. Year Planning

It is essential that the year programme for 2008 is in place so that the principal can manage the school effectively. Principals need to determine the following:

  • what activities should take place in 2008;
  • what the objectives (expected outcomes) of these activities are;
  • when the activity should take place;
  • where the activity should take place;
  • who will be involved in the activities;
  • what the cost of the planned activities will be; and
  • who will take responsibility for the activities and be accountable.
2.1 The school's year programme should include making provision for the following activities:
  • School governing body meetings
  • Meetings of the committees of the governing body
  • Full staff meetings
  • Meetings of components of your staff
  • Meetings re: staff appraisals
  • Parent - teacher meetings
  • Parent visits to classes and meeting with class / subject teachers
  • Cultural functions
  • Sports meetings
  • Possible excursions and tours
  • Dates for examinations, tests, assessment
  • Dates when tests and examination question papers should be set and submitted for moderation
  • Dates when examination answer papers should be submitted for moderation
  • Dates for teachers to submit lesson plans, quarterly and year plans
  • The year programme should also include schedules for:
    • Stock-taking
    • Completing internal requisitions for teaching and learning materials and general school stock
    • Applications for over-time service, where appropriate
    • Submitting information returns to the WCED
    • Submission of special schools' monthly financial reports to the district/Head Office
    • Submission of the school's audited financial statements [before June of next year]
    • Compiling the annual budget and submitting the budget for approval to the parent body
    • Submission of the minutes of the governing body meetings
    • Class visits by the principal and professional management team
    • Staff appraisals
    • Staff development programmes
    • School events, e.g. prize giving; staff functions; fund-raising; special celebrations such as Founders Day; posting celebration and birthday cards; reception days for visitors, sponsors, donors, etc.
2.2 Curriculum planning for 2008 must also include:
  • The compilation of the school plan for 2008, which is to be submitted to the circuit manager or ELSEN adviser [special schools]
  • Work division of staff
  • Time-table planning
  • Allocation of classrooms
  • Allocation of teaching & learning materials

3. Duties and Responsibilities
3.1 It is essential that the principal, each staff member and RCL members know exactly what their functions and responsibilities are, and that each person receives a written duty sheet and signs this document. Duty sheets are absolutely essential for the maintenance of good order and discipline in the school and are a basic management tool.
3.2 Before the duty sheets are handed over, it is essential that the principal ensures that all the functions and duties at the school are covered and that the duty sheets are discussed with all those involved, so that everything is clearly stated and that the principal receives their concurrence as to their tasks. By signing his/her duty sheet a staff member agrees to its contents and accepts responsibility and accountability for the execution of the listed duties. The copy of the person's signed duty sheet is to be placed in his/her personal file. If any additional duties or responsibilities are included, or if there are amendments, this must be noted and the employee is required to co-sign the amendment(s).
3.3 Please bear in mind that the principal needs to report any employee who does not fulfil his/her responsibilities.

4. Staff Establishments
4.1 It is required that the principal knows exactly which posts and the number of posts that the establishment makes provision for. The principal must also know who occupies each post and have the following data recorded in each person's file, as well as in a central reference file:
  • the post description
  • their Persal number
  • the person's rank and status (e.g. permanent, temporary, substitute, etc.)
  • the salary scale and present salary notch.

    It is important to keep the establishment records up to date on a monthly basis.
4.2 Please bear in mind that all contract and temporary appointments must first be recommended by your circuit manager/LSEN adviser at the district office before they may be sent to the Directorate: Staff Management at the WCED Head Office.

5. Budgets
5.1 It is important that the principal knows exactly what funds are still available and can be utilised until the end of March 2008. Please note that no over-spending is allowed.
5.2 The SGB Treasurer must have prepared the budget for 2008 before the end of 2007 and this budget must have been approved by the Governing Body and presented to the parents for their acceptance. Please be aware that the budget that the school will receive will probably be the maximum funds that will be allocated.
5.3 The amount of money allocated to the school for the 2008/9 financial year will be provided to the school during March 2008.

6. Economising
6.1 Schools are aware of the financial position in which the Western Cape (and the other provinces) finds itself. Each official and institution in the Western Cape needs to put measures in place to limit expenditure to the absolute minimum. It is therefore essential to prepare a financial savings plan for the school. The SGB and principal need to indicate the saving measures and bring them to the attention of all staff and learners. The saving measures must accompany your financial report for January 2008, which is submitted to the district office.
6.2 The school may not have debt. Principals must ensure that all outstanding monies are collected. Rentals / boarding fees of staff may not, under any circumstances, be outstanding and residential rentals are payable in advance.
6.3 It is necessary to ensure that no unnecessary expenditures are incurred during weekends and holiday periods. Saving measures could include the following:
  • switch off the hot water system and unnecessary lights;
  • limit irrigation to the absolute minimum;
  • limit over-time work to the absolute minimum;
  • lock telephones;
  • secure everything that can possibly be stolen, damaged or abused;
  • cut grass only when it is actually necessary;
  • close stop-cocks where possible; and
  • arrange that a staff member or SGB member regularly visits the school during the holidays to check that everything is in order and to pick up postal deliveries.

Remember the key to saving is proper, effective control.

7. Annual reports 2007

A brief annual report with a summary of the activities for 2007 must be compiled by schools and be available at the end of January 2008. These reports should include the following aspects:

  • Personnel composition and related matters;
  • Learner matters, e.g. outstanding awards, excellence in various fields, academic and sport results and personal achievements;
  • Financial matters (Departmental subsidy, sponsoring body contributions, fund-raising amounts, parent contributions, etc.);
  • Hostel activities (if there is a hostel);
  • Governing body matters, as well as the contact details of the SGB chairperson.

8. Mission statement and outcomes that you wish to achieve in 2008
8.1 If the school does not have a vision and mission statement, the principal, staff members, SGB and RCL should formulate these and continually refer to them during 2008. The mission statement of the school indicates how the vision will be realised and provides the direction in which the school and staff should be striving daily to accomplish the outcomes they have set for the year.
8.2 The following outcomes may serve as examples:
  • A staff which, as a whole, is effective, efficient, disciplined and makes a positive contribution to the education of the learners entrusted to their care
  • School leavers who are equipped with knowledge, skills, career orientation, self confidence and a positive attitude to accept the challenges of life after leaving school
  • A hundred percent pass in Grade 12
  • Clean, neat and undamaged school buildings
  • A healthy / positive bank balance
  • Diligent, disciplined, well-groomed and happy learners
  • The re-integration of learners who have been enabled through specialised education, to succeed in mainstream schools
  • Effective participative school management, organisation and administration
  • Effective support to teachers and learners with special education needs in the surrounding mainstream schools [if it is a special school]
  • An effective governing body
8.3 Please note that in order to accomplish these outcomes the school will have to do the following:
  • know precisely what the principal, the staff and the learners' needs are;
  • plan thoroughly;
  • do personnel and governing body training;
  • act firmly, yet humanely;
  • set the example of a committed, hard working, effective, efficient, disciplined, career orientated person who is positively inclined towards education and the country's future;
  • exercise strict control;
  • work constantly on developing and maintaining sound human relations;
  • take decisions and follow-up to ensure that instructions are executed promptly;
  • practise a participative management style;
  • extend what the school can offer to a wider area than just your own school;
  • keep to a planned time schedule and perform tasks allocated in that time.
9. Review and evaluation of 2007

In order to plan effectively and efficiently for 2008, it is necessary to determine what the school has achieved during the previous year and also to identify the shortcomings. This is essential in order to continue building on the school's strengths in 2008 and to eradicate, as far as possible, the deficiencies in the school's systems, functions and processes. All the stakeholders, both internal and external, who have an interest in the school, should be involved in the process of review, as honesty and openness is essential for effective assessment and for effective future planning.

10. Letters to parents

At the end, or beginning of each year it is important to send a letter to the parents/guardians. Matters that can be included in the letter include:

  • a word of appreciation for their co-operation and support;
  • the school's mission;
  • what you hope to achieve in 2008;
  • a year programme for 2008;
  • the necessity for parental involvement in the education of their child;
  • the school terms for 2008;
  • books and writing materials that learners will need in 2008 [that parents have to provide];
  • school fees and school fee exemption policy;
  • news from the school governing body;
  • highlights of the past year;
  • planned events for 2008

11. Personnel who are on duty during the school holidays

You must ensure that all personnel that are not entitled to school holidays take official leave should they not be on duty. Personnel on duty during the holidays must work the normal working hours. On 24 and 31 December 2007 personnel who are on duty may be dismissed at 11.30 am. Where no staff will be working during the holidays, arrange for volunteers to regularly visit the school.

12. Contact numbers during the holidays

Contact numbers of the principal or one of the management personnel must be left with the senior staff member who is on duty during the holidays. It is also recommended that these contact numbers be left with the district office. Please note that principals are also responsible for the school during the holidays.

13. Stock control

It is always sound practice to undertake comprehensive stocktaking at the end of each year. In particular, the stock must be controlled where the staff who were responsible for it, and learners who use the stock, are leaving the school. It is also important that learners hand in all textbooks, library books and other apparatus the day before the school closes and that this is strictly controlled. This is also a money saving measure. In the event of the learner or staff member losing stock, or where stock has deliberately been damaged, the costs must be recovered from the staff member or learner. Please adhere to the instructions related to loss control: for example, all losses must be reported to the loss control officer at Head Office. All burglaries and theft must be reported to the SAPS and a record with the case number must be kept. All damage to buildings must be reported to the Directorate: Operations Support (previously Physical Resource Planning) at Head Office.

14. Admission of learners

Under no circumstances may learners be admitted to the school in order to protect CS or Non-CS educator posts. The school is primarily there for learners and not to provide employment for personnel.

15. Admission of new learners to special schools

Please note that the admission of new learners to special schools can only be approved by the Director: Specialised Education Support Services after the official and correct procedures have been followed. Please ensure that only learners who really require special education and who cannot cope in mainstream schools are admitted to the special school. This is to ensure that learners who really need ELSEN are not prevented from obtaining admission by learners who could be included in mainstream schools / units.

16. The Head of Department and Head Office staff wish to thank all principals and educators for their loyalty during the past year and for the hard work under often difficult and trying circumstances.

Wishing everyone a peaceful and prosperous 2008.



SIGNED: H.A. LEWIS
HEAD: EDUCATION
DATE: 2008:01:09