Programme
Public school partnerships bring additional expertise, resources, flexibility and greater accountability in school management into no-fee public schools in a bid to achieve greater equity in quality education in South Africa.
Delivering high-quality education through structural change
In response to the structural challenges in South Africa’s education system, a group of local and international funders – led by DGMT in partnership with provincial education departments – began exploring frameworks that would allow civil society organisations to support the delivery of public education.
By drawing on non-profit School Operating Partners (SOPs) to strengthen the capacity of leaders and teachers within a more flexible system of management and financing, public school partnerships can improve the quality of service offered at government schools that serve vulnerable communities.
These, we believe, are the conditions under which effective learning and teaching can happen in schools that persistently under perform – and which otherwise doubly disadvantage children who already enter school with learning deficits.
All participants of the PSP programme are driven by a deeply held belief that every child has the right to high-quality education, regardless of their socio-economic status, and that every parent and educator should be empowered to provide it.
Our Objectives
We are a collective of supporting organisations whose objectives are:
Improve learner outcomes, among a range of no-fee public school contexts.
- By funding and incubating capable organisations that can partner with networks of public schools and implement the best models of partnership.
Create school partnerships that:
- Best exemplify the PSP model of shared management between principal, SOP and staff.
- Identify, implement and accelerate effective school improvement plans in context.
- Improve schools in terms of the four basic areas of school functionality and learner outcomes so that every learner can participate to their full potential in learning and life.
Public School Partnerships thrive at scale across South Africa because of our initiatives to:
- Innovate within the public school system by documenting and communicating our innovations on the mechanisms of school improvement for every civil society organisation and school to access.
- Advocate for the necessary political, policy and practical enabling environment that could enable Public School Partnerships to thrive at scale across South Africa.
How Public School Partnerships work
School Operating Partners, non-profit organisations specialising in education delivery, help public schools pursue high quality education by focusing on building capacity, accountability and flexibility.
To participate in the programme, non-profit organisations are selected by the provincial department of education who has oversight of the SOP and the school.
Partnership Schools are also identified by the government and can be existing public schools that are on a journey of ‘transition’ or brand-new schools. The type of school is important as it has an impact on the way in which the SOP operates.
Through the intervention of a SOP, Public School Partnerships is underpinned by three key levers for change:
- Greater capacity and support available to the SGB, school leadership, staff and teachers;
- Accountability of each stakeholder – whether it be the SOP, SGB, principal or teachers – for ensuring that high-quality teaching and learning is taking place in schools; and
- Increased flexibility in the delivery of teaching and learning to best fit the needs of the pupils within the schools.
Principal Support Video
We are a collective of supporting organisations whose objectives are:
Improve learner outcomes, among a range of no-fee public school contexts, by funding and incubating capable organisations that can partner with networks of public schools and implement the best models of partnership.
School partnerships that:
- best exemplify the PSP model of shared management between principal, SOP and staff.
- identify, implement and accelerate effective school improvement plans in context.
- improve schools in terms of the four basic areas of school functionality and learner outcomes so that every learner can participate to their full potential in learning and life.
Public School Partnerships thrive at scale across South Africa because of our initiatives to:
- innovate within the public school system by documenting and communicating our innovations on the mechanisms of school improvement for every civil society organisation and school to access.
- advocate for the necessary political, policy and practical enabling environment that could enable Public School Partnerships to thrive at scale across South Africa.
SOPs need to be flexible and sensitive partners
The way SOPs partner with schools is crucial – there are sensitive power dynamics that need to be navigated to build a foundation for engaging, trusting relationships with shared expectations and goals.
To be effective, School Operating Partners require a level of flexibility and innovation combined with an entrepreneurial spirit.
Empowering parents in their governance role
Public School Partnerships are built around parents and empowering them to fulfil their governance role.
In wealthier schools, parents with significant financial resources are often part of the SGB and help to guide and run the school. Parents at no-fee schools seldom have the same resources available to them. This is where the skills brought by SOPs empower SGBs and their schools to reach their full potential.
Educators are supported and empowered to teach
Teachers are at the frontline of education. Every day, they face a myriad of challenges, ranging from overcrowded classrooms to children with educational delays.
SOPs can support and empower teachers to improve the quality of teaching and learning through professional development, classroom support and teaching materials. With a strong focus on instructional leadership, principals too are given tools to navigate the challenge of managing under-resourced schools to attain quality outcomes.
Click here for more information on School Operating Partners and schools.
