The effects of the educator post-provisioning model in the management of public schools in iLembe District.

Abstract

The Post-Provisioning Model (PPM) is a Resource Allocation Model (RAM) used by the Department of Education to optimize the distribution of available educator resources to public schools. The KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education adopted the PPM to distribute the total available posts to all public schools in an equitable, transparent and resource-efficient manner. The PPM is a formula-driven model that primarily allocates educators, as human capital, to public schools based on learner enrolment numbers. In addition to allocating teaching staff, the PPM allocates the School Management Team (SMT) to each school. The outcome of the PPM formula is called the Post-Provisioning Norm (PPN). The implementation of the PPM has presented various challenges in the management of public schools. The primary aims of this study were to investigate any possible weaknesses of the PPM and to critically evaluate and explore school managers’ views of the PPM in the management of public schools. For the purposes of this study a complex probability sampling procedure was used. The participants were chosen from the principals within KwaZulu-Natal Department of Education in iLembe District. A sample size of 217 principals participated in the survey, which was drawn from the population of 420 school principals. The literature review undertaken in chapter 2 and the field research conducted in chapter 4 revealed that there is a gap between the ideals of the PPM and its implementation. It was found that there was a poor understanding of the technical aspects of the PPM formula among principals of public schools. There is evidence of equitable quantitative distribution of posts through the PPM. However, it was discovered that the PPM does not take into account the distribution of qualified educators. Hence, some of the allocated posts in public schools were often filled by under-qualified or non-qualified staff. The appointment of qualified educators was skewed. Further findings of this study revealed, amongst others, the inability of the PPM to provide for and promote the needs of a diverse curriculum in rural areas, and the inability to factor in and balance for the variable that some public schools raise millions of rands in school fees, which enables the advantaged schools to employ additional educators. The primary recommendations of this study are that principals be trained, on an annual basis, on the workings of the PPM and that the South African schools Act No.84 of 1996 must be amended to grant authority to the Head of Department of the province to appoint and deploy qualified educators to public schools.