The Education Law Amendment Act (Act 31 of 2007), which was signed into law at the end of last year, has implications for the principals of public schools.
The amendment prescribes new functions and duties for principals of public schools, including:
The stipulation that the principal represents the head of the department (HoD) in the governing body when acting in his or her capacity as principal;
The requirement that the principal prepares and submits to the HoD an annual report in respect of the academic performance of the school and the effective use of available resources;
The requirement that principals of schools identified as “underperforming’ in terms of section 58B of the Act, at the beginning of each year prepare a plan that sets out how the academic performance of the school will be improved;
The requirement that the principal performs certain duties, including professional management of the school, attending and participating in meetings of the school governing body (SGB), assisting the SGB in the performance of its functions and providing the SGB with a report on the professional management of the school.
The Act amends a number of pieces of education legislation, including the National Education Policy Act, the South African Schools Act, the South African Council of Educators Act and the General and Further Education and Training Quality Assurance Act.