On Photo: Dr Phyllis Netshivhuyu standing in front of the University Registrar
“The effects of educators’ rationalisation on school governance in public schools of the Vhembe District, Limpopo Province”, was the title of her study and her study aims at investigating the effects of staff rationalisation on school governance. Dr Phyllis Netshivhuyu’s PhD was conferred during the third session of the Winter 2022 Graduation Ceremony that took place on Friday, 15 July 2022 at the University of Venda Auditorium. A 72 year old Dr Ndanganeni Phyllis Netshivhuyu is a resident of Makwarela, outside Thohoyandou.
Her study argued that “As a way of addressing inequity, the Department of Basic Education had to address racial discrimination to equalise the supply of human resources in terms of teacher pupil ratio, through staff rationalisation and redeployment in the education system in consideration of South African Schools Act (SASA) (Act 84 of 1996). She said this was to ensure that a uniform system of school governance was introduced in all public schools. The study highlighted that the implementation of those changes in education procedurally posed a serious challenge to some educators.
The study revealed that the implementation of rationalisation and redeployment created a negative effect to most schools, which influenced the way in which schools are governed. Such ungovernability was a mechanism used by SGB members to demand more educators to address staff shortages at their schools.
Dr Netshivhuyu indicated that during the period of her studies she experienced challenges of managing time to study meanwhile looking after her family and raising her children, Tshilidzi, Rendani, Thabelo, her sister Thinavhuyo and her daughter Livhuwani. She said her family contributed much to encourage her to study excessively and she dedicated her doctorate to them because they were on her side when sometimes she had to spent sleepless nights.
All this was done after her retirement in 2015 as a school manager for 23 years at Tshikhudini Primary School. Dr Netshivhuyu has 48 years of service working in different schools holding different positions.
She is currently working Part Time in Teaching Practice at the University of Venda (UNIVEN).
“ I wish to encourage all students in different disciplines, my children and nine grandchildren that never get too old to learn. Everything is possible, if you take it seriously you can do more than what I did”, she added.
Issued by:
Department of Marketing, Branding and Communication
University of Venda
Tel: (015) 962 8525 / 8710
Date: 17 July 2022
