Basic Education Minister, Ms Siviwe Gwarube, accompanied by Deputy Minister, Dr Reginah Mhaule, and Mr James Ndlebe, Chief Director: Planning and Implementation Support,  briefed the Portfolio Committee on Basic Education on the progress made on School Governing Body (SGB) Functionality. The briefing, which took place on 24 June 2025, was attended by SGB Associations such as The National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB); the Federation of Associations of Governing Bodies of South African Schools (FEDSAS); and the Governing Body Foundation (GBF).

Minister Gwarube said that, “SGBs remain the most important pillars of democratic school governance in South Africa and have been a critical mechanism for fostering participation, accountability and local ownership in the public education system. SGBs as custodians of school governance, working in partnership with principals, educators and parents must ensure that every school serves the best interest of its learners. This presentation is aimed at providing the Committee with a comprehensive overview of the functionality of SGBs across the country, particularly in light of the 2024 SGB elections, whilst outlining the DBE’s work in monitoring, training and supporting SGBs, and more importantly, the steps we are taking to strengthen governance at school level. The recent SGB Functionality Survey reveals that there are still significant challenges; these include misunderstandings of the powers and limits of SGB roles; maladministration and conflict of interests; and training gaps and the weak enforcement of policies in respect of financial management, discipline and admissions. The survey results are a call for every Provincial Education Department (PED) and MEC to work with greater focus and urgency to address the gaps identified. I will be engaging with the Council of Education Ministers (CEM) as part of our ongoing efforts to improve the functionality of SGBs”.

The Minister added that the 2024 amendments to the South African Schools Act (SASA) introduced important tools for support in this effort; they provide for enhanced powers for Heads of Departments (HoDs); strict conflict of interest provisions; and strengthened requirements for consultation with parents and communities on critical school decisions. These reforms are intended to safeguard the integrity of SGBs to ensure that their functions are accountable, transparent and learner-centred.

Mr Ndlebe gave a holistic overview of the function and roles of SGBs, highlighting general misconceptions, principles that govern SGBs; the composition of SGBs; and the role of the principal. His main focus was on the Guidelines for Capacity Building of SGB Members; the Functionality Tool; and the Monitoring of SGBs. The purpose of the Guidelines is to assist PEDs to support SGBs in a more meaningful way in respect of capacity building programmes for their three-year term of office. “The DBE designed an SGB Functionality Tool to assist in indicating the effectiveness of school governance in the sector. Heads of Education Departments Committee (HEDCOM) approved the use of the SGB Functionality Tool as a survey and support self-assessment tool to collect data to assess key processes in school governance to determine the functionality and assess the capabilities of SGBs. The Functionality Tool will also assist District and Circuit Managers to determine the level at which SGBs operate in order to support them effectively; determine training needs of SGBs; and evaluate the impact of the training provided by provinces and SGB associations,” he added.

The DBE’s role in promoting functional SGBs is to support the establishment of SGB Associations through funding subscription fees in line with the Norms and Standard for School Funding and to institutionalise the establishment of national and provincial fora for SGB Associations to hold regular meetings. In addition, the DBE develops guidelines and training materials for SGBs; conduct Whole School Evaluation processes; provide dedicated support to SGBs through the allocation of schools to Circuit Managers; hold quarterly meetings with Governance officials; and intervene on monitored and reported cases to contribute towards supporting effective SGBs. The next SGBs elections will be taking place in March 2027.