Statement by Donald Grant, MEC for Education in the Western Cape

The 2nd term saw the start of the 2009 school governing body elections in the country. In the Western Cape, the SGB elections at its 1522 schools started in May 2009, while for the rest of the country the elections commenced in June. The earlier start was necessary because of rainy weather during June, which makes it difficult for parents to attend SGB Election meetings.

The MEC for Education at the time, Yousuf Gabru, launched the 2009 elections at a press briefing on 16 April 2009. The DoE supplied provinces with posters, pamphlets and National Guideline documents for distribution to schools. The WCED, as part of its advocacy programme, has developed posters, aired messages on most radio stations over a four-week period and advertised the SGB elections in various community newspapers. Our key message to parents was to ensure that they make their voices heard.

The WCED also supported various community forum meetings organised by SGB associations. A further notice was also sent to all WCED officials who have children of school-going age encouraging them to become part of the SGB elections.

The 2009 elections went satisfactorily and no major problems were reported by our district offices. The statistics forwarded by the districts indicate that at the end of June 77% of our 1522 schools has elected new school governing bodies. The district electoral teams will continue to support the remaining 23% of schools to ensure that the elections are completed by the end of July.

WCED is committed to ensuring that all elected SGB members are provided with high-quality training. The Chief Directorate: Districts, which is co-ordinating the SGB training, held two meetings with potential service providers to outline WCED training expectations. A three-year training framework was also developed in collaboration with other directorates and districts to ensure a standardised approach across the eight districts. The initial training, between July and November 2009, will target all newlyelected SGB members.

We wish all governing body members well with the important educational task ahead. We will be working in partnership with SGB Associations to ensure that together we deliver quality education for all.

For enquiries, contact Bronagh Casey:  072 724 1422 or brcasey@pgwc.gov.za.

Visit our website: http://wced.wcape.gov.za