EDUCATION authorities in the Eastern Cape have warned school governing bodies (SGBs) against interfering with matters involving their school-based employees.
The provincial Education Department has “noted with great concern the displacement of employees” by SGB members.
”the tendency is so prevalent that one might believe it is their call to make,” complained the department’s acting head Sharon Maasdorp in December.
”When the department gets involved, mitigates to resolve the impasse, the SGBs would dig in their heels to maintain the status quo,” she explained.
Maasdorp added that employees at the province’s schools whether hired in terms of the Employment of Educators or Public Service Acts including administration clerks and general assistants have the department as their employer.
She said as head of the department, she holds the authority to hire and fire employees after following all the required procedures.
Additionally, Maasdorp stated that the South African Schools Act provided roles and responsibilities that SGBs must perform.
”The tendency of some SGB members to chase away employees must come to an end as it is an encroachment to the affected employee’s rights, and the head of department’s mandate,” she said.
Maasdorp called on SGBs to report employees’ conduct and behaviour to the relevant authorities if they are unhappy so that due diligence to remedy the situation is taken.
SGBs are democratically elected in cycles of three years to take on a governance responsibility in public schools and implement departmental policies, regulations, and the sector’s rules of engagement.
The recently promulgated Basic Education Laws Amendment Act allows heads of provincial education departments to intervene in the development of language and admission policies in public schools but do not interfere with SGBs’ powers but the bodies do not possess unlimited or unchecked powers.