TITLE:
An Investigation on the Training of School Board Members in Zambezi Region, Namibia
AUTHORS:
Stanley C. Chombo
KEYWORDS:
School Board, School Board Members, Principal, Parents, Teachers, Learners’ Representative Council (LRCs) Members, Training
JOURNAL NAME:
Creative Education,
Vol.11 No.11,
November
26,
2020
ABSTRACT:
The purpose of this study
was to investigate the training of school board members in Zambezi region,
Namibia. The study adopted a qualitative research design approach. The data was
gathered using interviews and focus group discussions. In this study, the
researchers worked with principals and SBMs in Zambezi region, Namibia. The
findings revealed that majority of principals and school board members (SBMs)
did not seem to have received school board training. They learned their roles
and responsibilities through reading the copy of Part V of the Education Act,
Act 16 of 2001 and a booklet titled “The work of the school board: A booklet
for school boards in Namibia”. The researcher recommends that principals and
SBMs need compulsory and appropriate training that will enable them to
understand and perform their roles and responsibilities well. Where necessary,
school board trainers should employ the vernacular language (or seek the
services of an interpreter) so that parent SBMs who are not bilingual can
understand and grasp all the essential concepts of the training programme.