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The democratic constitution that came into effect in 1994 and ushered in the new South Africa recognises parents' role in education hence the established of an innovative school governance structure of which parents are in the majority. Before then, there existed parents–teachers association in schools. Its members were handpicked and therefore undemocratic and ineffective. The purpose of this paper is to investigate how the innovation in school governance encourages parents in the rural areas to be productively involved in school matters.

The study used the qualitative research method of focus group interviews to explore the extent to which the school governing body fosters active involvement of parents in school matters. The purposive sampling technique was used in selecting 21 school governors from three rural schools who were deemed information-rich to participate in the study.

The study found that the post-apartheid school governing body concept, which is an innovation in education management and leadership, encourages and promotes productive parents' involvement in education of their children.

The findings have lessons and implications for school management and leadership in the developing countries because as an Africa adage says, “it takes a whole village to bring up a child”.

Aims to examine current debates about the recruitment and retention of teachers and explore the views of Local Education Authority Human Resource Advisors, governors and teachers.

Addresses the issue of whether the Government is actually achieving its stated aims of best value in selecting, recruiting and retaining the most effective teachers in primary and secondary education.

The conclusion for the appointment of teachers in schools is that structured panel interviews, with trained panel members, and preferably including an HR professional, would represent best practice.

Raises serious concerns about the delegation of HR practice.

Colin Mackenzie, recently appointed a school governor, discusses their function

Reviews some of the changes in the law relating to education which have given school governors greater powers than formerly. Describes how these new powers can create polarization between staff and governors, and between teaching and nonteaching governors. Outlines the format for a workshop designed to improve assertiveness among governors and teaching staff, which highlights the differences between aggressive, passive and assertive behaviours.

Gives an account of how one primary school set about developing and implementing a sex education policy. Describes the processes of consultation, training and curriculum development involved. Provides a detailed description of topics studied by children at different ages, including lesson ideas.

The establishment of a new independent school is described retrospectively by the headmaster. As a manager he saw his constituency as fourfold: pupils, parents, staff, governors. He must know, teach and talk to pupils; treat every parent′s concerns with total attention; engage his staff in every sense of the word; and satisfy his governors. Public relations skills are of paramount importance at every level and public relations with the world outside must be active not passive or responsive.

Discusses the situation of Catholic aided schools following the 1988 Education Reform Act with emphasis on school governing bodies. Governors need training, information and guidance on school management plans and devolved budgets, new flexibilities in staff salaries, teacher appraisal and morale, buying in inspection. Further classification of new grant maintained status may be needed. A proper balance must be found between education authorities, governors, Church, parents and teachers that best suits individual community needs.

Explains how school governors, who have to write a policy about sex education, can get help on a topic which they might find embarrassing. Looks at the reluctance of some governing bodies to promote sex education in their schools and the conflicting opinions about what should be taught. Reveals the lack of understanding among some governors and the need for governor training. Discusses ways in which a reluctant governing body may be stimulated into action and reports that it would be quite possible to have a sex education policy which is broadly based, providing no more detail than necessary, and which allows the head full freedom to write an appropriate curriculum, governors adding special requirements as they wish.

School leadership in England and Wales is legally shared between the full‐time principal and the part‐time volunteers, the school governors. Their professional development opportunities during the last ten years have taken opposite directions. Principals’ development has moved to a training focus, with a nationalised, standardised, competency‐based qualification for aspirant headteachers. Governors’ education remains a non‐standardised, decentralised system but has now become largely school‐based and centred on educational issues. In exploring why such differences have occurred, the reasons suggested concern differing role expectations, training developments in related occupations, centralisation and decentralisation, uncertainties about the objectives of educational leadership and the costs of professional development.

The Education Reform Act and, in particular, the Local Management of Schools will demand different skills, understanding and differing roles of senior management in educational establishments. This text draws on written assignments and experience of teachers and headteachers who piloted an MBA programme, designed specifically for senior teachers. Topics such as customers, product, price, promotion and the notion of teachers as a salesforce are unfamiliar to educators. They draw attention to the kind of strategic planning which will take place in schools as they take over responsibility for delegated budgets. All of this is new territory for the majority of state schools and this collection hopefully provides a useful resource.