Whose Interests do the RCLs Represent?

Tshepo Thekiso & Nhlanhla Tshabalala look at how RCLs have failed to take up their mandate of defending the interests of learners.

Over the past few years we have seen the government’s plan to change the leadership of learners from prefects to democratically elected representative councils of learners (RCLs).

The RCLs were formed to ensure that learners’ grievances are taken forward to the management of the school and that learners are represented in decisions taken about their future. However, the RCLs have failed to carry out the demands of learners and defend their interests. Learners’ voices are increasingly being institutionalised, and schools are growing increasingly intolerant of autonomous learner formations that seek to express learner concerns outside of the RCL. This is because members of the RCL are unclear of their functions and roles.

Another problem is the policy that frames the South African Schools Act (SASA) and the present education system in general. In some instances the RCLs are oppressed by the principal, because SASA encourages principals to be the sole owners of schools. This makes it difficult for learners to challenge the principals if their leaders are on the other side, speaking on behalf of the principal and management. RCLs have become tools that ensure that learners are wearing proper school uniforms. This is clearly not their only function.

THE FORMATION OF THE LRF

The Learners Representative Forum was formed by learners who were part of RCLs from different schools around the Sebokeng area. These learners felt that RCLs needed a platform where they could collectively express their grievances, such as the cost of school uniforms, the lack of a feeding scheme and so on. The plan was to take these to the government to demonstrate their unhappiness.

As the LRF we have come to agree on the following principles:

• Strive to ensure that learners are being informed about what is taking place in and around the school, and also the community at large. This can be achieved through the pressuring of RCLs to commit themselves to putting learner demands first.

• To inform members of the roles and functions of RCLs.

However, it is not all RCL members who let the framework set up by SASA disturb or prohibit them from taking the struggle of the learners forward.

Our role is to build support and increase solidarity among such members.

We need to keep in mind that there are about 36 high schools in Sebokeng. The LRF exists in only six of these. This clearly demonstrates that there is still a lot of mobilising work to be done in terms of engaging the other 30 schools to participate in tackling the learners’ struggle in and for education. There are a lot of questions still being asked, like do RCLs represent learners or educators? They seem to not be transparent and are run from the principal’s office. Yet there is no change or development at schools.

The struggle continues. RCLs must listen and represent learners otherwise learners will lose their confidence and many end up with substance abuse as a way of forgetting their problems.

Tshepo Thekiso & Nhlanhla Tshabalala are both members of LRF in Sebokeng and active in the APF education sub-committee