Daar bestaan talle misverstande, wanopvattings en foutiewe persepsies onder ons lede sowel as amptenare van die verskillende onderwysdepartemente met betrekking tot die bevoegdhede en funksies van beheerliggame en die toepassing van sekere wetgewende bepalings oor skoolonderwys. Met hierdie lys vrae en antwoorde word ’n poging aangewend om hierdie misverstande, wanopvattings en persepsies uit die weg te ruim en in perspektief te plaas. Die antwoorde verskaf slegs die basiese inligting – enige verdere detail moet self deur die lid of besoeker bekom word. Sommige van die onderwerpe word in meer detail behandel in die regsmenings wat elders op hierdie webtuiste tot lede se beskikking gestel word.

A number of misunderstandings, misconceptions and incorrect perceptions exist amongst our members as well as officials of the various education departments, concerning the rights and functions of school governing bodies and the application of certain legislative provisions on school education. With these questions and answers an attempt is made to remove these misunderstandings, misconceptions and perceptions and to place them in perspective. Some of the topics are dealt with in more detail in the legal opinions made available to members elsewhere on this web site.

Vraag 1:
Wat is die juridiese aard van die openbare skool en sy beheerliggaam?
Antwoord 1:
Die openbare skool is ’n aparte, selfstandige regspersoon met bevoegdheid om bates te besit, kontrakte te sluit, ens, dieselfde as ’n volwasse natuurlike persoon. Die beheerliggaam is die arm deur middel waarvan die openbare skool funksioneer – soortgelyk aan die maatskappy wat deur middel van sy direksie funksioneer. Sien artikels 15 en 16 van die SA Skolewet, 84 van 1996 ("die Skolewet").
Question 1:
What is the legal nature of a public school and its governing body?
Answer 1:
The public school is a separate, independent juristic (legal) person with authority to own assets, enter into agreements, etc, the same as an adult natural person. The governing body is the arm through which the public school functions – similar to a company that functions through its board of directors. See sections 15 and 16 of the SA Schools Act, 84 of 1996 ("the Schools Act").
 
Vraag 2:
Wat is ’n "artikel 21-skool"?
Antwoord 2:
Dit is ’n openbare skool wat, benewens al die verpligte en diskresionêre bevoegdhede wat in terme van die Skolewet aan alle openbare skole verleen word, ook beskik oor een of meer van die volgende bykomende bevoegdhede:
(a) Die instandhouding en verbetering van die skool se eiendom, asook die geboue en gronde deur die skool beset, met inbegrip van koshuise, indien van toepassing;
(b) Die bepaling van die buitemuurse kurrikulum van die skool en die keuse van vak-opsies ingevolge die provinsiale kurrikulumbeleid;
(c) Die aankoop van handboeke, opvoedkundige materiaal of uitrusting vir die skool;
(d) Betaling vir dienste aan die skool;
(e) Die voorsiening van ’n klas of ’n sentrum vir basiese onderwys en opleiding vir volwassenes, behoudens enige toepaslike wet.

Sien artikel 21(1) van die Skolewet.
Question 2:
What is a "section 21 school"?
Answer 2:
It is a public school that, apart from all the compulsory and discretionary functions granted to all public schools in terms of the Schools Act, has also been allocated the following additional functions:
(a) To maintain and improve the school's property, and buildings and grounds occupied by the school, including school hostels, if applicable;
(b) To determine the extra-mural curriculum of the school and the choice of subject options in terms of provincial curriculum policy;
(c) To purchase textbooks, educational materials or equipment for the school;
(d) To pay for services to the school;
(e) To provide an adult basic education and training class or centre subject to any applicable law.

See section 21(1) of the Schools Act.
 
Vraag 3:
Het die sogenaamde "artikel 21-skool" enigiets met ’n sogenaamde "artikel 21-maatskappy" te doen?
Antwoord 3
Nee – die artikel 21-maatskappy is ’n spesiale soort maatskappy wat in terme van artikel 21 van die Maatskappyewet opgerig word, terwyl die artikel 21-skool verwys na artikel 21 van die Skolewet.
Question 3:
Does the so-called "section 21 school" have anything to do with the so-called "section 21 company"?
Answer 3:
No – the section 21 company is a special company registered in terms of section 21 of the Companies Act, while the section 21 school refers to section 21 of the Schools Act.
 
Vraag 4:
Is dit slegs die artikel 21-skool wat bevoeg is om ’n besigheid te bedryf en ander projekte aan te pak ten einde bykomende inkomste vir die skool te verdien?
Antwoord 4:
Nee – alle openbare skole beskik oor die bevoegdheid (eintlik die verpligting) om projekte te loods, wat die dryf van ’n besigheid kan insluit, ten einde bykomende fondse vir die skool te verdien. Dit spruit voort uit die verpligting aan beheerliggame opgelê in artikel 36(1) van die Skolewet om "alle redelike maatreëls binne sy vermoë (te) tref om die hulpbronne deur die Staat voorsien aan te vul ten einde die gehalte van onderwys wat deur die skool aangebied word aan alle leerders by die skool, te verhoog."
Question 4:
Is it only the section 21 school that is entitled to conduct a business and run other projects in order to generate additional income for the school?
Answer 4:
No – all public schools have the right (actually the obligation) to run projects, that may include the conducting of a business, in order to earn additional income for the school. This originates from section 36 of the Schools Act that places an obligation on governing bodies to "take all reasonable measures within its means to supplement the resources supplied by the State in order to improve the quality of education provided by the school to all learners at the school."
 
Vraag 5:
Wie is die werkgewer van personeel (opvoeders en nie-opvoeders) wat deur die beheerliggaam van ’n openbare skool aangestel word?
Antwoord 5:
Die openbare skool is die werkgewer, nie die beheerliggaam nie. Die beheerliggaam doen wel die aanstelling namens die skool, maar dit is die skool wat as werkgewer die dienskontrak met die opvoeder of nie-opvoeder (as werknemer) sluit. Sien artikel 20(4) en 20(5) van die Skolewet.
Question 5:
Who is the employer of staff (educators and non-educators) appointed by the governing body?
Answer 5:
The public school is the employer, and not the governing body. The governing body makes the appointment on behalf of the school, but it is the school that enters into the employment agreement with the educator or non-educator (as employee). See section 20(4) and 20(5) of the Schools Act.
 
Vraag 6:
Mag die opvoeders en nie-opvoeders in diens van ’n openbare skool verkies word tot die beheerliggaam van daardie skool?
Antwoord 6:
Ja. Een van die kategorieë van verkose lede van die beheerliggaam is die "opvoeders by die skool" – artikel 23(2)(b) van die Skolewet – en "opvoeder" word in artikel 1(1) van die Skolewet gedefinieer as "enige persoon, met uitsondering van 'n persoon wat aangestel is om uitsluitlik buite-kurrikulêre werksaamhede te verrig, wat ander persone onderrig, opvoed of oplei of wat professionele opvoedkundige dienste, met inbegrip van professionele terapie en opvoedkundige sielkundige dienste, by 'n skool lewer." Daar word dus geen onderskeid getref tussen opvoeders in diens van die onderwysdepartement en opvoeders in diens van die skool nie.

Dieselfde situasie is van toepassing op die nie-opvoeders in diens van die skool, wat tot die beheerliggaam in die kategorie van "personeellede by die skool wat nie opvoeders is nie" verkies kan word. Sien artikel 23(2)(c) van die Skolewet.
Question 6:
May the educators and non-educators in the employment of a public school be elected to the governing body of that school?
Answer 6:
Yes. One of the categories of elected governing body members is the "educators at the school" – section 23(2)(b) of the Schools Act – and "educator" is defined in section 1(1) of the Schools Act as "any person, excluding a person who is appointed to exclusively perform extracurricular duties, who teaches, educates or trains other persons or who provides professional educational services, including professional therapy and education psychological services, at a school." No distinction is therefore made between educators employed by the education department and educators employed by the school.

The same applies to non-educators employed by the school, who may be elected to the governing body in the category "members of staff at the school who are not educators". See section 23(2)(c) of the Schools Act.
 
Vraag 7:
Wie mag besluit oor die taal van onderrig by ’n openbare skool?
Antwoord 7:
Behoudens die Grondwet en die Skolewet kan die Minister, ná oorleg met die Raad van Onderwysministers, by wyse van kennisgewing in die Staatskoerant norme en standaarde vir taalbeleid in openbare skole vasstel. Die beheerliggaam van 'n openbare skool kan egter die taalbeleid van die skool bepaal, weer eens behoudens die Grondwet, die Skolewet en enige toepaslike provinsiale wet. Geen vorm van rassediskriminasie mag in die uitvoering van beleid wat kragtens hierdie voorskrifte bepaal is, plaasvind nie. Sien artikel 6 van die Skolewet.
Question 7:
Who may decide on the language of tuition at a public school?
Answer 7:
Subject to the Constitution and the Schools Act, the Minister may, by notice in the Government Gazette, after consultation with the Council of Education Ministers, determine norms and standards for language policy in public schools. However, the governing body of a public school may determine the language policy of the school, likewise subject to the Constitution, the Schools Act and any applicable provincial law. No form of racial discrimination may be practised in implementing policy determined under these provisions. See section 6 of the Schools Act.
 
Vraag 8:
Wat is die regsposisie met betrekking tot die vaste (onroerende) eiendom by ’n openbare skool?
Antwoord 8:
In die oorgrote meerderheid van gevalle is die Staat die eienaar van die vaste eiendom (dit wil sê die grond en geboue) by openbare skole. Daar bestaan ook openbare skole op private eiendom, soos bv plaasskole.

Die openbare skool op Staatseiendom beskik egter oor die reg om, vir die duur van die skool se bestaan, die vaste eiendom te beset en te gebruik tot voordeel van die skool vir opvoedkundige doeleindes by of in verband met die skool. Hierdie reg kan slegs deur die LUR vir Onderwys beperk word indien die vaste eiendom nie deur die skool in die belang van die onderwys benut word nie. Sien artikel 13(2) & (3) van die Skolewet.

Die beheerliggaam van die skool is inderdaad verplig om die geboue en gronde deur die skool beset (insluitende koshuise) te administreer en te beheer, en mag ook die redelike gebruik van die fasiliteite van die skool vir gemeenskaps-, sosiale en skoolfonds-insamelingsdoeleindes toelaat. Sien artikel 20(1)(g) en 20(2) van die Skolewet. Beheerliggame met artikel 21(1)(a) bevoegdhede beskik voorts oor die reg om die geboue en gronde van die skool in stand te hou en te verbeter.
Question 8:
What is the legal position regarding the fixed (immovable) property at a public school?
Answer 8:
In the vast majority of cases the State is the owner of the fixed property (land and buildings) at public schools. There are also public schools on private property, for example farm schools.

However, the public school on State property has the right, for the duration of the school's existence, to occupy and use the fixed property for the benefit of the school for educational purposes at or in connection with the school. This right can only be restricted by the MEC for Education if the fixed property is not utilised by the school in the interests of education. See section 13(2) and (3) of the Schools Act.

In fact, the governing body of the school is obliged to administer and control the buildings and grounds occupied by the school (including hostels), and may also allow the reasonable use of the facilities of the school for community, social and school fund-raising purposes. See section 20(1)(g) and 20(2) of the Schools Act. Governing bodies with section 21(1)(a) functions even have the right to maintain and improve the buildings and grounds of the school.
 
Vraag 9:
Wat is die regsposisie met betrekking tot die roerende eiendom by ’n openbare skool?
Antwoord 9:
Alle openbare skole is die eienaars van alle roerende eiendom deur die skool verkry sedert inwerkingtreding van die Skolewet, dus sedert 1 Januarie 1997 – sien artikel 37(5) van die Skolewet. Alle voormalige staatsondersteunde ("model C") skole was reeds voor 1 Januarie 1997 die eienaars van alle roerende eiendom op daardie stadium in die skool se besit – artikel 52(2) van die Skolewet. Alle artikel 21 skole wat nie voormalige Model C skole is nie, het eienaars geword van alle roerende eiendom in die skool se besit vanaf die datum waarop hulle artikel 21 status verwerf het – artikel 52(3) van die Skolewet.

Met ander woorde, die enigste roerende eiendom by openbare skole wat nog aan die Staat behoort, is daardie bates wat voor 1 Januarie 1997 in die besit was (en nog is) van openbare skole wat nie voormalige model C skole of artikel 21 skole is nie.
Question 9:
What is the legal position regarding the movable property at a public school?
Answer 9:
Answer 9:
All public schools are the owners of all movable property acquired by the school since commencement of the Schools Act on 1 January 1997 – see section 37(5) of the Schools Act. All former State aided (model C) schools were already, prior to 1 January 2003, owners of all movable property in their possession at that stage – section 52(2) of the Schools Act. All section 21 schools that are not former model C schools became owners of all movable property at the school from the date on which they acquired section 21 status – section 52(3) of the Schools Act.

In other words, the only movable property at public schools that still belong to the State, are those movable assets that, prior to 1 January 1997, were (and still are) in possession of those public schools that are not former model C schools or not section 21 schools.
 
Vraag 10:
Mag ’n onderwysdepartement deur middel van ’n omsendbrief maatreëls afkondig en afdwing wat in stryd is met ’n wet of regulasie kragtens ’n wet uitgevaardig?
Antwoord 10:
Nee. Die departement mag wel beleid toepas, maar beleid kan nie regte en verpligtinge skep nie; dit kan slegs gedoen word deur wette van die nasionale en provinsiale wetgewers en regulasies in terme van sulke wette uitgevaardig.
Question 10:
May an education department by way of a circular announce and enforce provisions that are in conflict with an act or a regulation promulgated in terms of an act?
Answer 10:
No. The department may apply policy through circulars, but policy cannot create rights or obligations; that can be done only through acts of the national and provincial legislators and regulations promulgated in terms of such acts.