THE PRINCIPAL
In addition to his / her day-to-day role in the running of the school, the principal holds an important role on the SGB. He/ she provides information and expertise around the teaching and management at the school.

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Unit 1: The Principal
Click below to listen to Mrs Saartjie taking you through the learning outcomes of this unit.
​The law says … (SASA, Chapter 2:16)
Do's
The Principal:
  • must be a member of the governing body in his or her official capacity, i.e.because they are principal
  • is responsible for the professional management of the school (under the authority of the Head of Department)
  • must give the governing body the help they need to perform their functions
  • must, when placing learners with special education needs, take the parents’ wishes into account
  • may not be the treasurer of the governing body
  • may not administer or allow the governing body to direct or authorise them (or the staff) to administer any admission test
What should we expect from the Principal?
Audio
Click below to listen to Mrs Saartjie talking about what is expected from the principal
Extra Duties
Audio
Click below to listen to Mrs Saartjie taking you through the principal's extra duties
MEETINGS
Before: Planning a meeting
The chairperson and secretary are usually the people who plan a meeting. Good planning helps to ensure that everyone sticks to the main topic of the meeting.
Step 1: Preparing the agenda
The chairperson and secretary draw this up. List the points that will be discussed at the meeting, taken from the Matters Arising of the previous meeting. The decisions made then should now be reported upon.
Step 2: Prioritising issues
The agenda is a list of the most important issues for the members to discuss, arranged points in order of priority. The chairperson should check the minutes of the previous meeting in order to have a clear memory of the issues raised. The matters arising from these minutes will be based on this and may include the following:
Tasks: these require a report-back
  • Matters for which further information was required
  • Matters that were deferred to this meeting
Step 3: Planning the timing
Tasks: these require a report-back
  • When? The meeting begins and ends
  • How much? Time to allocate for each agenda item, in order of priority.
  • When? The meeting begins and ends
Step 4: All the relevant people should be notified
They must be informed of the date, time and venue of the meeting, as well as the agenda.
This is a job for the secretary.
During the meeting
Tips
Running meetings – an important role of the chairperson

The chairperson plays an important role in meetings.

They must set the pace for the meeting, making sure that people stick to the topics and that democratic decisions are taken.
Dealing with difficult people at meetings
Audio
Click to listen to Mr Penny Processor
taking you through dealing with difficult people at meetings
After the meeting
The following is important for the Chairperson after the meeting:
  • Check the draft minutes are correct (as supplied by the Secretary)
  • Check
    Ensure that the minutes are sent out to members
  • Check
    Ask the secretary to follow up on tasks (use the minutes to assist with this)
Minutes Template
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The Principal

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Copyright © Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG) First edition 2018.
 
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