Former Model C schools are up in arms over plans to tighten government control over them. Proposed changes to education laws have outraged school governing bodies, which are calling them "a kick in the teeth" that could push the schooling system back to the pre-1994 era.story_article_left1A presentation on the sweeping changes planned for the South African Schools Act and the Employment of Educators Act was made by the Department of Basic Education at a recent meeting between seven governing body associations and Minister Angie Motshekga.The changes seek to curb the power of school governing bodies in the appointment of senior staff - a prospect that has triggered concerns that some parents might move their children to private schools.Teacher union the SA Onderwysersunie (SAOU) this week warned that the proposed amendments would take the country back to the pre-1994 dispensation in which schools fell under direct control of the state.The proposals would bar governing bodies from recommending candidates for appointment as heads of departments, deputy principals and principals.A task team appointed by Motshekga has proposed that such appointments be made directly by the heads of departments of education in the nine provinces. Among the proposals contained in a draft government document, which has not been released for public comment yet, were:• Giving the heads of provincial education departments the final authority to admit a pupil, although the admissions policy of a public school is determined by the governing body. The admissions policy would have to be submitted for approval to the head of department, who would have to be satisfied that it took into account "the needs of the broader community" in which the school was located;• Allowing the head of department to instruct a public school to adopt more than one language of instruction if the number of pupils speaking the existing language dwindled, and if it was deemed to be in the interests of "promoting social cohesion"; and• Giving a head of department authority to ask the auditor-general to audit the records and financial statements of a public school.The changes also seek to prevent the more than 390000 state teachers from doing business with the state or being involved in companies that have state contracts - on pain of being fined, jailed and/or dismissed.block_quotes_start I don't ever see it being accepted by anybody who has the interest of the system and children at heart block_quotes_endThe proposals are contained in the 20-page Basic Education Laws Amendment Bill, dated August 17.The bill was drawn up by a task team of officials from the national department and legal representatives from the provincial education departments of the Western Cape, Free State, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal.SAOU said in a statement that the new provisions would give department officials "the legal capacity to override the decisions of the school governing body"."We truly hope that the education authorities will reconsider their proposals as they will render governing bodies powerless, and there will hardly be any incentive for parents to accept ownership of public schools and continue to contribute to public education," the union said.The new state model would "definitely accelerate the migration of parent funding and enrolment to independent schools".mini_story_image_vright1"The education authorities must realise that in a constitutional dispensation, parents do not take kindly to being prescribed to by politicians, especially with regard to the education of their children," the statement said.Paul Colditz, CEO of the Federation of Governing Bodies of South African Schools, which has 1994 member schools, said the changes would be "a kick in the teeth" for governing bodies and the "biggest step backwards"."The more you erode the rights of governing bodies, the more you are telling parents: 'It's no longer necessary for you to be involved in the education of your children,'" Colditz said."I believe the minister is sympathetic towards communities and towards governing bodies. [She] knows that the system relies very heavily on the support and involvement of civil society and, in particular, of parents."He singled out the proposal that governing bodies lose their powers to appoint senior staff as "totally unacceptable"."I don't ever see it being accepted by anybody who has the interest of the system and children at heart."Matakanye Matakanya, general secretary of the National Association of School Governing Bodies, said the association was "very uncomfortable" with some of the proposals.But he said his association fully backed proposed changes to language policy because "some governing bodies use the language issue to bar access to some children".Louis Geyer, chairman of Hoërskool Pietersburg in Polokwane, Limpopo, said governing bodies were best suited to recommend the appointment of new principals because they knew their respective schools."The department will post any person at any school irrespective of whether they have the required experience and background," said Geyer.story_article_left3He said a school's medium of instruction should not be decided by an education department."How will a school in Thohoyandou operate if it has to suddenly teach through the medium of Zulu or Afrikaans?"Gavin Kennedy, a member of Bryanston High School's governing body, described the proposed curbs on governing bodies recommending senior school staff for promotion as "absurd and ludicrous"."We are the closest to do some of the groundwork and make the recommendations," said Kennedy."It takes so long to go through the process ourselves."It will take the department years if they have to appoint a principal."It smells like micromanaging. You are already making the big decisions; now you want to make the small decisions," he said.According to the Department of Basic Education's annual report for the last financial year, the final draft bill is expected to be ready by the end of the year or early next year.sub_head_start What some principals have to say sub_head_endRob le Roux, principal of Westerford High in Cape Town, said "it would be an absolute tragedy" if the power to make recommendations for appointments to management posts were to be taken away from schools.story_article_right2"The experience I've had is that governing bodies are intelligent, qualified human beings who can sum up the situation and make the right appointments. People sitting in head office don't know the community."But he said he did not have a problem with the department sending forensic auditors to a school, because it was dealing with public money.• The principal of an Afrikaans school in Gauteng, who did not wish to be identified, said: "If they manage to push the legislation through, we are in huge trouble. Public education in South Africa, in my mind, will take a tumble because the parents are simply going to take their children to private schools."• Walter Essex-Clark, principal of Northcliff High in Johannesburg, said stripping schools of the power to make appointments would "take away a certain level of autonomy"."It's like a vote of no confidence in principals," said Essex-Clark.govenderp@sundaytimes.co.za..