Effective leadership is crucial in ensuring the sustainability of a school. As part of its vision to make quality education accessible to all children, FEDSAS has expanded its range of quality material for governing bodies with the introduction of a guide on the application of the King principles in independent schools.       

Governance in independent schools: A guide to the application of the King principles in independent schools is an adapted version of the popular and successful Governance in public schools: A guide to the application of the King principles in public schools, published by FEDSAS in 2016. The original publication is available in several official languages.       

“The King IV principles for corporate governance are guidelines for establishing and measuring effective leadership in organisations. In 2016, FEDSAS worked with IoDSA (Institute of Directors in South Africa) to make these principles accessible for public schools,” says Dr Juané van der Merwe, Deputy CEO of FEDSAS.      

 “Independent schools are not required to have a school governing body, but it is good practice for these schools to have a governance structure. Irrespective of the composition of this governance structure, it should ultimately represent the parent body of the school. The guide focuses specifically on these governance structures grassroots level – on the structure and how it should function in accordance with the King IV principles.”        

Van der Merwe says the new publication is a significant milestone for FEDSAS and will assist in promoting governance in independent schools through addressing their unique needs. FEDSAS members receive electronic access to the new guide.   

The new guide was launched at FEDSAS’s mini summit for independent schools in Stellenbosch today (23 October 2024). “The programme covers topics such as legislation, continuing professional development of educators, accreditation, and financial sustainability,” says Mr Hennie Combrink, Manager: Independent Schools at FEDSAS. The first mini summit of this nature was presented in Gauteng earlier this year. Combrink says there is a clear need for a collective voice to represent this sector in the bigger education sector. “FEDSAS has more than three decades’ experience in training and equipping governance structures. The organisation is a recognised representative of schools’ governance structures at a high level,” says Combrink. Combrink says effective leadership at both independent and public schools will contribute to a stronger education sector. 

PHOTO: At the launch of FEDSAS’s guide on school governance for independent schools are, from left to right, Hennie Combrink (FEDSAS’s National Manager: Independent Schools), Cindy Thomas and Vanessa Naidoo (Umalusi), Ella Mokgolane (CEO: South African Council of Educators) and Suzaan Mellet, Chairperson of the South African Education Development Trust and co-author of the guide.