4.1 Introduction
4.2.8 Fostering responsibility among learners
All of the participants from secondary schools reported that they have a representative council for learners’ (RCL) and matric council structure as a means to foster responsibility in learners. The majority of the participants from primary schools informed that they have the prefect system, monitors, scouts, girl guides and soul buddies that they make use of in their schools as the means to foster responsibility in learners.
Ms Buyeka, the post level 1 teacher of Lokishini Secondary School had the following to say:
As a school we have RCL’s who are responsible for taking care of learners matters, assisting teachers around the school in terms of checking learners’ uniform, unacceptable behaviour, reporting bunking and maintaining order during assembly
(Ms Buyeka, post level 1 teacher of Lokishini Secondary School).
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Similarly, Mr Bell the principal of Mshini Secondary School explained:
RCL system, is the wonderful structure that embodies everything about our school.
Last year we had a remarkable young lady chair lady of RCL and this year again impeccable role models, there are gentle souls, when you read about servant leadership they are definitely servant leaders of the school
(Mr Bell, principal of Mshini Secondary School).
Likewise, Mrs Panday the post level 1 teacher from Mshini Secondary School highlighted the following:
The RCL is the system of the learner voice, the matric council which runs matric matters, like matric ball, dance, breakfast and lunch, they also assist in orientation and induction programmes, and they work as mentors
(Mrs Panday, post level 1 teacher of Mshini Secondary School).
The prefect system was understood by some primary school participants as the way to foster responsibility in learners in their schools. Mrs Nodlula, the principal of Toyi Primary School explained:
We have prefects in place which assist us in various spots like at the gate in the morning and afternoon keeping order when the learner come to school from their transports, by the taps to ensure that taps are not left leaking water and by the tuck shop they assist when learners are buying
(Mrs Nodlula, the principal of Toyi Primary School).
Likewise, Mrs Sibonga, the principal of Hloba Primary School stated:
Through the prefect system there were responsible for maintaining order in the assembly, starting songs, choruses, read bible and assist teachers on the grounds in classrooms and when they are not present
(Mrs Sibonga, the principal of Hloba Primary School).
Some primary school participants believe in monitors as a system to foster responsibility in learners. Mrs Ngema, the post level 1 teacher of Ngoyi Primary School had the following to say:
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We have Monitors in each class that were responsible for giving out and collecting learner books, distributing the specialised learning equipment from the teachers cupboard and check equipment before returning them into the cupboard. They also make sure that every afternoon the group responsible to sweep the class does it
(Mrs Ngema, the post level 1 teacher of Ngoyi Primary School).
Sub-cultural structures are formed in other schools as a means to foster responsibility in learners. Mrs Khuleka the post level 1 teacher of Toyi Primary School explained:
We have girl guides, scouts, soul buddies all learners belonging to such groups are responsible to keep the school clean, report unsafe acts, for recycle fund raising project
(Mrs Khuleka, the post level 1 teacher of Toyi Primary School).
It is worth pointing that it was so strange that all the primary school participants mentioned that they still have the prefect systems in their school. Why this is pointed out is because the prefect system was phased out with the inception of South African Schools Act, 84 of 1996 and the representative council for learners was introduced in the secondary schools.
Confirming the existence of the RCL body at Mshini Secondary School was when I observed the meeting of the RCL members where they were addressed by their chairperson telling them some changes that the management have taken together with them pertaining to the learners that wait outside the school for their parents to pick them up. The whole discussion was how those learners should conduct themselves as they were the mirror of the school.
Furthermore, during my visit at school the RCL executive was busy planning a women’s day cerebration for the woman and they had small pieces of cakes that they were giving to female educators at school. The leadership role of the RCL executive at Mshini Secondary School was evident to me which then corroborates what Mr Bell, the principal of Mshini Secondary School mentioned during our discussion. With regards to matric council that Mrs Panday, the post level 1 teacher of Mshini Secondary School the only thing that I observed was the list of those learners who are members of the matric council. Also in the school year planner were the activities that need to take place like mentorship programme for grade eights that took place on 24 January 2015, matric ball and breakfast lunch for grade twelves.
During my visit at Lokishini Secondary School I did not witness the RCL body practising what Ms Buyeka, the post level 1 teacher explained during the semi-structured interview. I
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attended the two assemblies there were no RCLs members maintaining order during proceedings of the assemblies, I walked around the school there were learners bunking lessons during the lesson change over periods and there was no RCL taking care of that conduct. The majority of the learners in the school were coming late, dressed in their own clothing, I did not witness anybody attending to them from the gate to the classrooms which then refute what Ms Buyeka, the post level 1 teacher of Lokishini Secondary School mentioned. What I witnessed at Lokishini Secondary School suggests that the leaners are not taking the responsibility of their role as leaders of the school. During my visit at Toyi Primary School I witnessed learners in the morning standing apart from the teachers on duty on the path ways from the school gate checking if other learners were in school uniform. Also during break time there were learners by the tuck shop and by the water taps monitoring those areas. This corroborates what Mrs Nodlula, the principal of Toyi Primary School mentioned during our discussion concerning the role of their prefect system as a means to foster responsibility to learners. Furthermore, at the end of the day on my second visit, I observed the group of learners taking part in the activities of scouts and girl guides outside the school where there were doing marches and speaking about keeping the school clean. This confirms what Mrs Khuleka, the post level 1 teacher of Toyi Primary School mentioned during our discussion when referring the groups of organisations their learners involved at. The same groups were also separating paper and bottles packing them in separate bins which corroborates what Mrs Khuleka, the post level 1 teacher of Toyi Primary School explained when she mentioned the recycling project that are run by these learners. The only thing I observed in the lessons at Ngoyi Primary School was the learners who were giving out books and stationery and equipment to other learners. Also at the back of the door of each classroom there was a list of learners responsible to sweep on each day for the whole week.
This confirms what Mrs Ngema, the post level 1 teacher of Ngoyi Primary School stated during our discussion. This suggests that learners at Toyi Primary School and Ngoyi Primary School are starting at a very early stage to take positions as leaders.
At Hloba Primary School in my two days’ visit and attending the assembly, I did not see the list of learners responsible for any duties at school neither witnessing learners maintaining order in an assembly, reading a bible, starting songs helping during break time. This refutes what Mrs Sibonga, the principal of Hloba Primary School mentioned during our discussion when she said prefects were given responsibility. This means that the school does not seem to have a way of fostering responsibility among the learners. A study by Brown, Busfield,
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O’Shea and Sibthorpe (2011) shows that involving learners in decision making and responsibilities of the school are instrumental in shaping the school policies and also contribute to the school culture. In addition Mager and Nowak (2012) posit that listening to learners encourage them to participate in school matters and gives them more responsibilities to be part of creating a better functioning school. Kamper (2008) posits that if key values, principle and accountability are not instilled in learners, it will result in the schools being dysfunctional. Social identity theory processes shows the influence to exert power to set the agenda through individuals’ responsibilities in an organisation, define identity and mobilise individuals to achieve collective goals of the organisation (Hogg & Abrams, 1999).
The following theme discusses how the schools foster responsibility among teachers.