Minister Maynier urges parents to vote in the School Governing Body elections

While most of us are aware of the general elections taking place later this year, there is another large election that is about to take place which involves all parents and caregivers across the country: the 2024 School Governing Body (SGB) elections!

The SGB election process will take place over the next few weeks, and schools will be informing parents of the specific election timelines for their school.

SGBs represent all sectors of the school community, including parents, teachers, non-teaching staff and learners in Grades 8 to 12.

They have a long list of responsibilities and decision-making powers on various areas such as the school’s admission policy, language policy, the formulation of the school’s constitution and mission statement, the code of conduct and disciplinary procedures, the budget and financial management, recommending staff appointments, and supporting the principal, teachers and other staff.

The election of an SGB can be undertaken manually, electronically, or using both methods.

In the case of a manual election, schools may allocate timeslots when parents may visit the school to physically cast their vote.

Voting must place over one full day, which may not start earlier than 07h00 and may not end later than 20h00. A manual voting station must be open for a minimum of 5 hours.

For an e-election, voting may be open for the full day from 07h00 to 20h00. Schools that decide to have an e-election are required to set up at least one e-voting station at the school to make provision for those who cannot vote online from elsewhere.

Parents will nominate candidates for the voters’ roll prior to their school’s election.

While governing body members are not required to have formal qualifications, it is beneficial to have parents with integrity, dedication and commitment. Knowledge of financial management, legal processes and maintenance are particularly useful, given the kinds of decisions that SGBs must make and the responsibilities they are entrusted with.

We urge parents to fully participate in the voting process on the dates communicated by their schools and to carefully select candidates that have the best interests of their children at heart.

More information on the governing body elections is available at: https://wcedonline.westerncape.gov.za/governing-body-elections