A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

Transformation and Diversity Booklet_Layout 1 2018/06/08 11:42 Page a
A GUIDE TO EFFECTIVE
SCHOOL TRANSFORMATION and
DIVERSITY MANAGEMENT
ISASA
Transformation and Diversity Booklet_Layout 1 2018/06/08 11:42 Page b
Publisher’s note
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in this book is accurate at the time of going to press, and the publishers and
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caused. No responsibility for loss or damage occasioned to any person acting,
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Published by ISASA
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© ISASA 2018
ISBN: 978-0-9921760-3-7
First published in 2018
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Transformation and Diversity Booklet_Layout 1 2018/06/08 11:42 Page 1
CONTENTS
Acknowledgements .............................................................. 2
Glossary................................................................................ 3
Foreword............................................................................... 5
Introduction........................................................................... 9
Chapter 1 – Understanding transformation and diversity

in context ........................................................ 11
Chapter 2 – Advocacy: Messages for the school

community ...................................................... 23
Chapter 3 – Institutional change (road map for schools) ... 39
Chapter 4 – Individual change and development .............. 65
Chapter 5 – Conclusion ...................................................... 89
Appendix – Sample of an Employment Equity policy:

Century School ............................................... 94
References ....................................................................... 101
1
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
ISASA would like to acknowledge its indebtedness to the
following individuals for their contributions in the development of
this Guide:
Kevin Fleischer, Aspen Institute

Kim Robinson, Aspen Institute
David Storey, Ernst & Young
Rajane Williams, Embrace
Stanley Bongwe, The Diversity Institute
2 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

GLOSSARY
Economically active A national statistic population (EAP) that
includes people between the ages of 15
and 64 who are either employed or
unemployed and who are seeking
employment. It is published by Statistics
South Africa as part of the Quarterly
Labour Force Survey (QLFS).
Human diversity Differences among groups and individuals
based on their race, gender, religion,
culture, language, national origin, disability
status socio-economic status, age, ideology,
sexual orientation, personality, and
experience.
Assimilation This is when the values, traditions and
customs of the dominant group frame the
cultural context of an organisation,
resulting in the subordinate groups being
subjected to direct or indirect pressure to
adopt the ways of the organisation.
Malicious Intentionally implementing a policy or a
compliance order with the knowledge that
it will not have the intended result. Such
behaviour is often motivated by a
grievance, or by resistance to change.
Organisational The process of implementing deliberate
change in the transformation
organisation in order to adapt (pro-
actively or re-actively) to internal or
external change drivers affecting the
organisation.
Social justice Proper administration of law with the
intention of ensuring fair distribution of
opportunities, privileges and wealth in
society.
3
Social cohesion A degree of social integration and

inclusion in communities and society at
large, and the extent to which mutual
solidarity finds expression among
individuals and communities.
Systematic A planned or known process that in its
design and implementation would
methodically produce or perpetuate
inequality.
Systemic Patterns of behaviour, policies or
practices that have allowed
discrimination to become embedded in
the systems and structures of an
organisation, and which result in or
perpetuate disadvantage to certain
groups.

FOREWORD
It is not generally known that one of the first schools
established in South Africa, the St George’s Church School,
was an integrated school. St George’s Church School, “was
apparently the first Anglican school to be founded in South
Africa and it is interesting that of its 54 pupils in 1845, 43 were
‘of European descent’, while four were the children of
‘apprenticed negroes’ and even of ‘Hottentots and other
persons of colour’.1” Thus integrated schools are not a new
phenomenon in South Africa – even though this brief
experimentation with inclusion was soon abandoned for more
than a century.
In South African education, the modern journey of diversity

and transformation began in 1976 when some convent
schools enrolled black South African children for the first
time.2 Other independent schools soon followed in opening
up their doors to all children. During the bleak days of
apartheid, this stance served as an alternative to the
prevailing racial order imposed by the Nationalist
government. Since the act of integrating was deemed bold
and the provision of a quality education to black children
contextually enlightened, broader questions of what inclusion
entailed and whether institutional cultures needed to be
interrogated, were not at issue. After all, many black families
were relieved simply not to be consigned to under-resourced
schools where Bantu Education was all that was on offer.
Similarly, Indian and Coloured families would also have been
happy to have an alternative to the lesser-resourced schools
available to them. Consequently, open schools felt affirmed in
their progressiveness by challenging the prevailing racial
hierarchy. Some forty years later, the questions of
transformation and diversity are very different. Today, South
Africa is a constitutional democracy that recognises the
equality of humankind.
1
Peter Randall Little England on the Veld: The English Private School System
in South Africa (Johannesburg: Ravan Press; 1982) page 189.
2
Pam Christie Open Schools: Racially Mixed Catholic Schools in South Africa,
1976 – 1986 (Johannesburg: Ravan Press; 1990) page 22.
Foreword 5
As the largest and most inclusive schools’ association, ISASA

has always taken into consideration contemporary factors that
impact independent schools in general and its members
specifically. In the near half-century since inclusive
independent education, the approach of schools has been
assimilationist. This reality could prevail because the number
of black children in independent schools was small. However,
since the dawn of democracy, independent schools have
seen sizeable shifts in their demographic composition,
especially at the pupil level. This means that the historical
institutional cultures that were taken for granted have now
come into question. Even within those pioneering schools that
accepted small numbers of children from the black elite, South
Africa’s institutional practices (which included these schools)
were built around racial hierarchies that had been encoded
into law by apartheid. In our Constitution, such a racial
grading finds no place.
As a result, schools now have to find their place within the new
values of an open and democratic society in which the
“[h]uman dignity, the achievement of equality and the
advancement of human rights and freedoms [as well as] non-
racialism and non-sexism” 3 are the founding principles. It is
highly unlikely that the fact of having been progressive within
the milieu of apartheid, would ensure that a school that had
been amongst the pioneers in accepting black students in the
1970s would necessarily meet the higher constitutional
standard that now prevails in South Africa. The proscription
against discriminating on the basis of “race, gender, sex...
ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation... disability...
culture, language and birth” in section 9(3) of the Constitution,
binds all of us as citizens and institutions. Certainly,
discrimination on the basis of gender, sex and sexual
orientation were practices in every societal subset (by both the
beneficiaries and the oppressed) of South African apartheid
society. In terms of language, only English and Afrikaans
enjoyed official recognition. In other words, all of South Africa
had much work to undertake at the dawn of the Constitution.
3
Section 1(a) and (b) of The Constitution of South Africa.

This task, by necessity, is ongoing and must continue due to

the brief historical duration of the epoch of equal human rights
in South Africa.
In 2006 and 2007, ISASA formally addressed the question of

diversity by conducting research in our member schools. A
preliminary report of this research was tabled at the
September 2007 ISASA Council meeting. At this meeting, the
ISASA Council established a committee to review the findings
of the report and to make recommendations to the ISASA
Executive Committee, Council and Directorate. This committee
has subsequently evolved to become the Transformation and
Diversity Committee, which remains a standing committee of
the ISASA Council. Its early achievements included making
the increase of diversity in member schools a strategic
imperative for the ISASA 2008 to 2010 Strategic Plan.
Transformation and Diversity has since been incorporated in
subsequent strategic plans. The inaugural committee also
facilitated the release of the ISASA Diversity Report in January
2009. The recommendation of the Transformation and
Diversity Committee came in the form of a Toolkit for
Transformation and Diversity which was published in
September 2012 and was then revised in December 2013.
In keeping with a document that was conceived as a living

instrument, the ISASA Toolkit is now being revised for the third
time into this publication: A Guide to effective school
transformation and diversity management. The philosophical
approach of the initial Toolkit, was to win the hearts and minds
of member schools and help them to understand that diversity
and transformation is the right thing to do. True success for
schools on the journey of managing diversity, is undoubtedly
based on the ethical commitment to humanistic principles
founded in the South African Constitution and the United
Nations – Universal Declarations of Human Rights and the
Declaration of the Rights of the Child.
However, as Stanley Bongwe of the Diversity Institute, and the

updating author of this ISASA Guide makes clear, the
necessity to diversify and transform is not voluntary, but is a
legal requirement. That is why we are publishing this new
Preface 7
iteration of the ISASA Toolkit. This updated publication,

combines the instruments for those who desire to embrace
humanist goals with the non-negotiable anti-discriminatory
legal requirements imposed on all South African organisations.
As the present Executive Director of ISASA, I am grateful to my

predecessor, Jane Hofmeyr, and others, who placed diversity,
alongside quality and values at the centre of ISASA’s purpose.
I thank the many people who have contributed or are
participating in the work for transformation and diversity within
ISASA: Melvin King, Sandile Ndaba, John Lobban, Mandla
Mthembu, Paul Channon, Ivanka Acquisto, Mark Kaplan,
David Klein, Nkululeko Mpofu, Johreen Patel, Margot van
Ryneveld, Vijay Naidoo, Xolani Majola, Ronnie Todd, Claire
Hock, Wayne Joubert, Graham Howarth, Jasmina Osman,
Peter Habberton, Reynard White, Tim Nuttall, Alan Thompson,
Confidence Dikgole, Lindsay McCay, James Welsh, Stephen
Lowry, Kim Robinson, Kevin Fleischer, David Storey, Rejane
Williams, Julian Cameron, Chaile Makaleng and Deon Oerson.
My appreciation is also extended to David Lea, Amy Barr-

Sanders and Dr Caroline Faulkner for editing this edition.
As Transformation and Diversity is an ongoing journey ISASA

will continue to revise this publication periodically.
Lebogang Montjane
Executive Director of the Independent Schools Association of
Southern Africa (ISASA), Houghton, Johannesburg
April 2018

INTRODUCTION
Schools play a major defining role in society and the world. In
contemporary South Africa independent schools attract
diverse staff and student populations, all of whom are in
pursuit of quality educational and employment opportunities.
In a transforming society such as South Africa’s, demographic
shifts and trends will continue and, when coupled with legal
mandates on transformation and diversity, will undoubtedly
present both challenges and opportunities for schools to
adapt for relevance, success and sustainability.
Schools are at different readiness levels for change. However,

there is a need for all South African schools to develop a
common understanding of the dual concepts of organisational
transformation and human diversity management. This is in
addition to the need to provide guidance on processes,
structures and enabling activities to drive the transformation
and diversity agenda, inclusively and effectively.
This Guide to Effective School Transformation and Diversity

Management seeks to offer schools a broad understanding of,
and guidelines for, addressing issues of diversity,
transformation and social justice, particularly in the
independent school environment. Organisational
transformation and diversity management are no longer
optional in South African organisations – they are legal
requirements with which the employer organisation and its
employees are required to comply. From an institutional and
individual point of view, transformation and diversity are need-
to-do processes and, from a legal standpoint they are must-do
processes.
This Guide therefore approaches and offers guidance for

transformation and diversity as institutional, legal and personal
imperatives. It provides information and steps that may be
Introduction 9
followed in the process of transformation in respect of the

following four components:
1. Understanding transformation and diversity in context
2. Advocacy (messages for the school community)
3. Institutional change (road map for schools)
4. Individual change and development (a personal change
process)
Although this Guide consists of these four parts, they are not
separate and stand-alone components or levels of
engagement. Activities in the four components complement
and support each other and together, especially when used
as part of the school’s initiatives on the topic, will create an
enabling environment for change and development in the
school.
While this Guide is primarily directed at the independent

school sector – and ISASA member schools in particular – it
will be of value to all southern African schools.

1 Understanding transformation
and diversity in context
Focus of this chapter
• ISASA’s commitment to institutional transformation and

diversity management.
• ISASA’s beliefs and values that form the basis for the
relevance, effectiveness and sustainability of our
institutions.
• ISASA’s initiatives designed to aid in the effective
execution of our mandate.
• Defining and demystifying key concepts for broad and
deep understanding and appreciation of their
significance.
1.1 ISASA’s commitment

The Independent Schools Association of Southern Africa
(ISASA) is committed to increasing diversity and contributing
to the noble goal of establishing a society based on
democratic values, social justice and fundamental human
rights. To this end, ISASA has dedicated time, effort and
resources to chart the way forward and offer support to its
member schools.
1.2 ISASA’s beliefs and values

ISASA believes in the values of human dignity, non-racialism
and non-sexism as stipulated in the Constitution of South
Africa:
We … adopt this Constitution as the supreme law of the
Republic so as to
• Heal the divisions of the past and establish a society
based on democratic values, social justice and
fundamental human rights;
1. Understanding transformation and diversity in context 11

• Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in

which government is based on the will of the people and
every citizen is equally protected by the law;
• Improve the quality of life of all citizens and free the
potential of each person;
and
• Build a united and democratic South Africa able to take
its rightful place as a sovereign state in the family of
nations.
1.3 ISASA’s initiatives

In embracing and giving effect to transformation and diversity
and the injunctions in the preamble to the Constitution, ISASA
has embarked on the following initiatives:
• Offering regular Transformation and Diversity workshops

to member schools as part of the ISASA training
programme;
• Establishing a Transformation and Diversity
Subcommittee of Council;
• Developing a diversity vision statement;
• Making a strategic imperative of promoting and
supporting diversity and transformation in ISASA, its
constituent associations and schools;
• Making a commitment to diversity as a condition of
membership: ‘An ISASA member is committed to a
democratic, non-discriminatory society and a school
community based on fairness and diversity’ (this is on
the ISASA membership certificate, which must be
publicly displayed);
• Establishing black representation on its governance
structures;
• Ensuring diverse representation among its staff;
• Undertaking diversity training for its staff and the
Executive Committee and Council;
• Making diversity a component of the Independent
Quality Assurance Agency evaluation;
• Developing resources to help members improve their
diversity.

1.4 Defining and demystifying key concepts

The concepts of transformation and diversity can easily be
misunderstood, leading to unintended consequences. At
ISASA we aim to improve the understanding and appreciation
of these concepts in order to ensure that schools will act on
them to produce desired results for themselves.
ISASA’s definition of human diversity

Human diversity refers to differences among groups and
individuals based on their race, gender, religion, culture,
language, national origin, disability status, socio-economic
status, age, ideology, sexual orientation, personality and life
experience.
The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and

respect. It means understanding that each individual is
unique, and it recognises our individual differences. It is about

understanding each other in a safe and positive environment, and

moving beyond simply tolerating to embracing and celebrating the
rich dimensions of diversity within each individual. The figure
below captures the steps in the process of valuing diversity:
Figure 1 © Stanley Bongwe
Many independent schools may not be sufficiently transformed in

terms of racial diversity, but there has probably always been a
wide variety of diverse relationships within the school:
• Teacher-teacher diversity
• Teacher-learner diversity
• Learner-learner diversity
• Teacher-leader diversity
• Teacher-parent diversity
• Leader-Department of Education diversity
ISASA’s understanding of transformation

The understanding of transformation and its implementation is
viewed from both macro-level and micro-level perspectives.
National transformation:
Transformation in South Africa is conceptualised as a re-orientation
from past values, policies and practices to a future defined by non-
racialism, non-sexism and social relationships based on greater

observance of human rights and more equity. Targets of the

national agenda on transformation include:
• taking steps to eliminate all forms of unfair discrimination;
• addressing the effects of past discriminatory policies
and practices;
• ensuring access to economic and developmental
opportunities for all, especially the underdeveloped and
previously marginalised segments of the population.
• working towards the attainment of true equality in a non-
racist, non-sexist and socially-just society;
• promoting reconciliation and national unity among the
nation’s diverse population.
Organisational transformation
Organisations and institutions are usually a microcosm of
society. In a changing nation they must be conscious of the
need to transform from within in order to respond to external
and internal change drivers. In South Africa today,
organisational transformation is a process of implementing
deliberate change in organisations. This is to ensure alignment
with the constitutional requirement that organisations should
work towards ensuring fair access to employment and
development opportunities for all, and that the workplace
should be free from any form of unfair discrimination.
Organisational transformation is a legislated, policy-driven
process aimed at:
• Making reasonable progress in diversifying the

composition of the workforce to broadly reflect the
demographics of the country, in line with economically
active population (EAP) figures.
• Training and developing staff to be aware, receptive,
appreciative, and respectful of differences, as well as to
be open to different ideas and to lead by example.
• Ensuring an inclusive institutional culture characterised
by fair processes and reasonable accommodation of
differences.
• Complying with relevant legislation, not only procedurally
but also substantively.

Organisational transformation is not an optional process but a

legally mandated one. The legislative mandate on
organisational transformation and diversity management is
guided by the Employment Equity Act (EEA, No 55 of 1998).
The purpose of the Employment Equity Act, No 55 of

1998 is to achieve equity in the workplace by promoting
equal opportunity and fair treatment in employment
through elimination of unfair discrimination and
implementing affirmative action measures to redress the
disadvantages in employment experienced by
designated groups, in order to ensure equitable
representation in all occupational categories and levels
in the workforce.
Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998
Transformation also involves the following key aspects:
Transformation as an institutional
imperative
School leaders and staff need to understand the strategic,
educational and moral imperatives for transformation. It is this
understanding that underscores the point that school
transformation is not an optional nice-to-have project but an
absolute imperative for the school and its future.
Transformation is not only about legal

compliance
Transformation and diversity cannot be approached or dealt
with as a ‘tick-box exercise’ – it is not about mere compliance.
Compliance with legislation or policy is a necessity but does
not make a compelling case in and of itself.
Transformation as an enabler of excellence,

relevance and social justice
Transformation and diversity will entail seeing transformation
as a strategy for creating excellent, relevant and socially just
schools. These will tend to be more attractive to prospective
students and parents, as well as to sponsors and donors, who

prefer to be associated with schools and other organisations

that are perceived to be progressive, relevant and excellent.
Addressing racialisation and race-based

inequality
The most daunting – but not insurmountable – task of
transformation efforts is also about breaking down the cycle of
further racialisation of society and institutions. Transformation
initiatives are also meant to identify and address existing overt
and covert race-based inequality.
The reasons why many transformation and

diversity efforts focus on race
Most transformation and diversity efforts in South Africa focus
primarily – but not exclusively – on race, for several reasons.
• South African society has been deeply socialised along

racial lines.
Old racial attitudes and behaviour have been rearing
their ugly heads in some of the recently publicised cases
on social media, at schools, in companies and in case
law, demonstrating that there is still a lot of work to be
done on race relations.
• Inequality in society is mostly defined by race.
Socio-economic inequality in South Africa is said to be
ranking as the highest in the world. This phenomenon is
also clearly defined by race – which does not augur well
for the nation and will not help with the normalisation of
race relations in the future.
• Employment opportunities reflect the racial stratification
of society.
The National Department of Labour, through the
Commission for Employment Equity, publishes an annual
report on employment equity. This summarises the data
supplied annually by designated employer organisations
that reflect their state of progress in implementing their
employment equity plans. Since the promulgation of the
Employment Equity Act, the report continues to reflect
management control of organisations heavily favouring
whites and Indians, especially when measured against

the EAP figures. The EAP, as defined by Statistics South

Africa, includes people between the ages of 15 to 64
who are either employed or are unemployed and seeking
employment.
A fundamental change at personal level and

school level
Institutions will not change unless there is a fundamental shift
in people’s mind-sets, attitudes and behaviour in those
institutions. The process of organisational transformation,
therefore, is a journey at both school and personal levels.
Belief in the potential and talent of all

learners
Learners are more diverse than staff members in many
independent schools. Unbiased and socially conscious staff
members who are also curious about diversity will be more
likely to demonstrate their belief in the inherent potential of all
the learners. These staff members will also understand the
different learning styles, strengths and perspectives of the
learners.
Belief in the potential and talent of all

professionals
Fair recognition and development of talent can only strengthen
the school’s effectiveness and quality. Staff members will not
always be at the same level of readiness for carrying out their
tasks. Targeted staff development would fill the gap and
develop latent talent.
Suitability for a job

The Employment Equity Act gives guidance to organisations
and institutions on how to determine the suitability of staff
members for specific jobs. This is to facilitate the development
of people with potential and to provide access to more
employment and promotion opportunities. Section 20 (3) of the
Employment Equity Act defines a suitably qualified individual
as follows:

For purposes of this Act, a person may be suitably qualified

for a job as a result of any one of, or any combination of that
person’s:
(a) Formal qualifications;
(b) Prior learning;
(c) Relevant experience; or
(d) The capacity to acquire, within a reasonable time, the
ability to do the job.
Preparing learners for the real world

Institutions of higher learning and the world of work in South
Africa and abroad are generally more diverse than schools.
So, the duty of today’s school is to provide not only quality
academic education but also holistic education to prepare
learners for a multiracial, multilingual, multicultural South Africa
and world.
In this Guide we will work with the following definition of quality

in the school environment which says:
An expanded notion of quality includes a school’s

contribution to reducing and not entrenching inequality.
Schools that effectively exclude or do not serve well
particular segments of the population cannot be considered
to be of high quality, irrespective of their examination results
and sporting achievements. While education may be
selective, it cannot claim to be of high quality if it
perpetuates discrimination.
Equality vs Equity
There has been considerable discussion and debate as to
whether organisations and institutions in a transforming
society should pursue the goal of equality or that of equity.
Questions have been raised as to what constitutes fairness.
The point is that when transforming a society or organisation
both goals of equality and equity are vital for substantive and,
ultimately, total transformation, but with each at their relevant
stage and in context.

The concepts of equality and equity need to be understood as

two strategies that a school can use in an effort to practise
and achieve fairness. Equality is about treating everyone the
same and providing equal access. Equity is about giving
everyone what they need in order to be successful, and it may
not be the same for everyone since people are at different
readiness levels.

The school principal’s key roles in a changing school

environment and society can include the following:
Transformational leadership
The school principal should lead transformation with genuine
conviction and managerial courage, relying on a compelling
business case in order to achieve key stakeholder buy-in and
support. This role does not belong to an external consultant or
some school committee, but is the key responsibility of the
principal. If the principal is not convinced and convincing,
then the staff and parents will not be convinced either.
Visible leadership and communication

As the custodian of the school’s overarching vision and
strategic objectives, the principal cannot be a bystander on
key strategic efforts of the school. The principal should be
directly involved in helping to develop, define, refine and
contextualise the transformation policy, and should provide
visible leadership by being the main communicator of the
policy. The principal may delegate operations but not
leadership. Problems may arise when the leadership of
transformation is being delegated to some committee with no
power or credibility.
Talent development and creation of genuine

role models
Transformation without effective skills development will not
succeed. The creation of a quality ‘talent pipeline’ is a
leadership responsibility, as this will sustain quality assurance
for the school. The head of school should hold heads of
departments accountable for this very important part of
transformation, and talented individuals should be
encouraged so that genuine role models can be developed.

For reflection:
• Do you think that the school’s key stakeholders
understand the true meaning and rationale for
transformation and diversity?
• Can you articulate to the parents, if asked, impromptu,
your school’s position on transformation and diversity?
• What are the most common myths about transformation
and diversity at your school?
• How can communication be improved for better
understanding of the transformation agenda at the
school?
• Can you articulate the benefits of transformation for your
school?
• Can you explain the benefits of diversity management in
the classroom and the staffroom?

2 Advocacy: Messages for the

school community

• Explaining the specific and main reasons behind
organisational transformation and diversity.
• Presenting a concise and compelling case for
transformation to all key stakeholders, the institution
and the country.
• Motivating the staff and other key stakeholders to join
the journey into a brighter future in education.
• Strengthening the school’s communication messaging.
• Dispelling some common myths and highlighting

benefits of transformation and diversity.
This chapter comprises a set of messages that clarify why

transformation and diversity are critical to the sustainability
of a modern Southern African school. These messages can
help rally the entire school community behind transformation
and diversity initiatives.
2.1 What is a diverse institution?

A diverse institution is one that reflects societal
demographics, provides equal opportunities, does not
directly or indirectly discriminate and is experienced
similarly by all groups it includes.
David Storey, Resolve
In the above quote, David Storey touches on the two main

features of a transforming and developing contemporary
South African institution.
1. Diversification in the demographic profile or
composition of the institution. According to the
Employment Equity Act, this representation should be
across occupational levels and occupational
categories.
2. Advocacy: Messages for the school community 23

2. Ensuring that the culture and climate in the institution is

characterised by deliberate inclusion of all members of
the institution, leading to a sense of belonging.
The drive for inclusion is informed by the reality that the

dominant group in that institution already feels part of the
‘institutional family‘, but the subordinate groups may feel a
sense of not being considered or made part of the institution.
In South Africa, especially during this transitional period,

institutions do not become or stay diverse without
transformational leadership. Leading institutional
transformation in order to develop and sustain diversity is a
leadership challenge and responsibility. This challenge is not
easy to handle but is also not insurmountable. Every case is
different, but in almost all cases the journey to success starts
with a bold and courageous step that is guided by an
inspirational vision for the institution.
2.2 Why are transformation and diversity

important?
The messages that follow are aimed at all schools for them to
strengthen and deepen their understanding of, and conviction
in, driving the transformation agenda in a way that will
produce the desired results, not only for today but also for the
future. There are several motivating factors that can contribute
to decisions and actions to implement transformation and
diversity initiatives.
Some schools may be moved into action by the strategic

rationale underpinning transformation and concerns about the
consequences if they do not act. Others may take the first
steps as a result of the commitment they have to their learners,
convinced by the educational logic. Finally, some may be
motivated by a sense of fairness and would therefore be
moved into action by the moral argument.

There are three main points of emphasis and argument that

should lead to the conceptualisation and implementation of
results-focused transformation and diversity efforts for the
school:
• Strategic rationale, including sector rationale and school
rationale
• Educational logic
• Moral arguments.
Strategic rationale for the independent

school sector
• Benefits of transformation and diversity to the
independent school sector
o Transformation and diversity will deliver on the
sector’s mandate to educate the learners holistically
for their future success, while making a meaningful
contribution to the country’s human resources
development goals.
o Transformation and diversity will attract, develop and
retain top quality, diverse academic and
administrative staff into the teaching profession and
sustain the quality of independent schools,
enhancing the relevance of the sector in a changing
and developing society.
o Transformation and diversity will prevent reputational
damage to the sector from negative publicity as a
result of failure to transform and manage diversity by
a school in the independent school sector.
o Transformation and diversity will improve the
attractiveness of schools in the sector to parents and
learners from diverse backgrounds.
o Transformation and diversity will ensure that
independent schools’ alumni would become future
brand ambassadors for the schools instead of being
critics and detractors who would publicly question
the relevance of independent schools.
o Transformation and diversity will enhance the brand
attractiveness of independent schools to both
traditional and non-traditional donors and sponsors.

o Transformation and diversity will align the sector

mission with the national agenda on fairness, social
cohesion and human capital development.
• Sector transformation as part of social transformation

Transformation of the independent school sector should
be understood to be part of a broader goal of social
transformation.
Social transformation and redress from apartheid are
important and should be integrated within the
broader transition to sustainability. Integrating…
them in a strategic and coherent manner will give
rise to great opportunities, efficiencies and
benefits, for both the company and society.
King Report III
The statement above addresses three key points in relation to

the transformation of organisations. These points, when
integrated into transformation efforts, further enhance the
relevance and significance of the sector to the broader
society. These points are redress, sustainability and strategy.
• Redress
While there is a compelling argument that schools should
address transformation challenges and create
opportunities out of these challenges, the King Report
deliberately uses the word ‘redress’, a concept that
imposes an obligation to correct what has not gone right.
• Sustainability
Transformation is critically important for sustainability,
and transformation efforts are similar in nature to other
components of a sustainability strategy such as
environmentalism.
There would be upfront costs and investment involved
but its benefits are huge in the medium and long term.
Redress and sustainability should be integrated, and
transformation should be viewed as part of the school’s
sustainability strategy.

• Strategy
The King Report also proposes that institutions need to
think strategically when approaching organisational
transformation. They need to be able to see the big
picture and align their vision, values, and goals to the
environment in which they operate. This will ensure their
survival – and also their relevance, success and
sustainability.
Change is the law of life and those who look only to

the past or present are certain to miss the future.
John F. Kennedy
There are also several key factors that would compel the
independent school sector to take a more strategic look at its
thinking and actions as a way of preparing the sector and
schools to address real and potential challenges and exploit
real and potential opportunities. Other key contributing factors
to the strategic rationale for the sector are:
• Transformation and diversity are critical, as the black

middle class will be the primary enrolment growth driver
for the sector
A combination of demographic trends, increased
affordability and heightened motivation will make the
black middle class a strong driver of future enrolments.
Demographic growth and upward mobility of black
professionals and the growing entrepreneurial class will
increase the demand for quality education for their
children.
• Investing in transformation and diversity today versus the
future cost of failing to invest
A committed focus on transformation and diversity will
require investment of time and money. However, this
investment must be viewed as strategic and be seen as
off-setting the future cost of not transforming. An
example would be that the cost attached to negative
publicity on transformation could be huge as it could

include reduction in enrolment; the departure of

learners; the withdrawal of sponsorship and donations;
legal costs; public relations costs; and reputational
damage. There is also a collegial obligation to invest, as
failure by some might come at a cost for all.
• Diversity is key to securing the future of independent

schools
In an adverse socio-political context, being sustainable
means:
o Counteracting the perception that independent
schools are white, elitist and exclusive – and some
even racist.
o The sector cannot afford to provide some authorities
with reasons for introducing hostile regulations.
o A strong advocacy strategy and capacity will be
needed to respond to increased political pressure.
However, being truly sustainable means that the
independent school sector will require more
credibility and legitimacy in order to support
advocacy.
• Preventing the inequality between public and private

schooling becoming untenable and unacceptable for the
majority of South Africans
If the perceived nequality gap between public and
private schools were to grow further, there would be an
increased risk of populist attacks – justified or unjustified
– on independent schools. We can take lessons from the
ideology-driven closure of mission schools in the 1950s.
If this inequality gap were to increase further it would be
unrealistic for the independent school sector to be held
responsible for closing the gap. However, independent
schools can be expected to increase the pace of
transformation to mitigate the potential consequences of
this gap.

Strategic rationale for the individual school

• Benefits of transformation and diversity to the individual
school
Transformation and diversity bring many benefits to the
individual school as an institution and brand.
o Holistic education of learners: A transforming or
transformed school will ensure substantive delivery
on the school’s mandate to educate the learners
holistically in preparing them to adjust and function
effectively in the diverse real world, for their future
success. Such an education will be deemed one of
quality and relevance.
o Talent management: Top academic and
administrative staff tend to seek employment at well-
run, quality schools. A school is also in a competitive
labour market for top talent. In order to be relevant,
maintain quality and be competitive at the same
time, a school must be successful in attracting,
developing and retaining top quality, diverse talent.

o Brand preservation: One of the key assets of a

school is its brand reputation. This intangible asset
has been built over many decades. Negative
publicity about transformation and diversity may
cause massive damage to the brand. The school’s
effective transformation and diversity management
efforts will help prevent reputational damage to the
school. The world has become very small as a result
of advancements in communication technologies
such as social and other electronic media; this
means bad news can travel and reach all corners of
the country and the world in a matter of seconds.
o School of choice: Parents and learners do shop
around for a school. A minority may still be looking
for a mono-cultural and mono-racial school, but the
majority have come to accept the inevitability that
schools of the future will be multicultural and
multiracial, in composition and in character. A large
number of discerning parents are also attracted to
the benefits diversity would bring to their child.
These parents have realised that trying to shield their
children from the reality that we live in a multiracial
and multicultural country will not benefit them in the
long run. The school would therefore be best served
in the medium and long term if it were to be
appealing and attractive to a wide and diverse range
of parents and learners.
o Alumni as brand ambassadors: When the school is
characterised by values of quality, excellence,
respect, fairness, inclusiveness, non-discrimination
and humanity, its diverse alumni tend to be proud to
be associated with the school. However, if some
groups in the school population felt excluded and
became recipients of the proverbial ‘stepchild’
treatment, they could disown their alma mater or
become its harshest public critic. Genuine
transformation, diversity and inclusion would help the
school in ensuring its alumni would become its future
brand ambassadors.

o Attracting or maintaining sponsorships and

donations: Donors, sponsors and funders are usually
very protective of their organisations’ brand image,
and they would also prefer to support positive and
progressive brands. Enhancing the school’s brand
image may help in maintaining current partnerships
and possibly attracting new, non-traditional ones.
o Diverse role models: Most professionals and learners
look out for role models in their work and learning
environment. The presence of diverse role models
communicates the inclusive nature of the school and
its proven track record in providing opportunities for
all on a fair basis. The message is very clear that, ‘At
this school, if you have what is required and you are
willing to work hard, you will never be overlooked
regardless of who are.’ The creation of genuinely
diverse role models also acts as motivation for others
who may be watching to start believing that
excellence will be recognised and rewarded fairly in
their institution.
o School sustainability and inter-school competitive
advantage:
Schools are permanently in a competitive race on
many fronts:
3 Competition for the best teaching and
administrative talent
3 Competition for the best academic students
3 Competition for the best athletic students
3 Competition for funding and sponsorship
Relative diversity will grow as a driver of choice in

school selection: in the racial composition of staff
and learners; in the degree of cultural affinity; in the
degree of inclusiveness. In the same way that
parents make choices based on co-ed or single-sex
schools, these aspects are likely to become key
indicators of quality education and cultural affinity.

However, the gap between more or less racially

integrated and culturally aligned schools may widen
rapidly as a result of:
– White parent choices: Fear of change,
misconceptions about what transformation
involves and even racism may drive some white
parents to move their children to less integrated
schools
– Black parent choices: Desire for ‘normality’ and
perceived better quality education may drive
black parents to prefer more integrated schools.
‘A good policy, o Management of school transformation: How schools
when badly manage transformation to create diverse and
implemented, culturally accommodating environments will create
becomes a bad winners and losers. If transformation is not timeously
policy, at least and effectively managed, it can disadvantage a
in the eye of school.
the observer.’
Stanley Bongwe Ultimately, a change of mind-set within schools can have the
effect of turning challenges into opportunities.
• To ensure teacher replication for the school
Demographic trends dictate that the majority of future
teachers will be black; current black learners are
therefore the pool of future teachers. However, black
learners in independent schools will only choose teaching
if they have appropriate role models. It is therefore vital
that schools should create an enabling and positive work
environment for black teachers to develop and be
successful role models in order for learners at
independent schools to be attracted to the teaching
profession.
• Trust relationship between parents and staff: Trust

between parents and school staff is one of the key factors
in the success of a school. The school should work
tirelessly to maintain this trust relationship between these
two sets of very important role players in the education of
learners. It must be noted though that trust may weaken if
the demographic profiles of parents and staff vary too
much. This also is a question of management of
transformation and diversity at the school.

Educational logic
Quality schools will continue being defined and redefined, as
there are many facets to quality. Some of the key
characteristics of quality schools include the following:
• Quality schools provide relevant education

One of the school’s often understated roles is that of
preparing learners for study, work and life in a changing
country and world. When learners go into the ‘outside
world’ having been well-prepared academically but
socially ill-prepared, they often struggle with adjustment
and culture shock. Relevant education will prepare the
learners to function effectively in a more diverse world of
higher education or the world of work, in their country or
abroad.
Quality schools will therefore be those that meet their

obligation to provide learners with a sound basis for
meaningful cross-racial and cross-cultural interaction
with others to produce a ‘normal’ society. It is this
interaction, over and above what the learners are taught
in class in subjects such as Life Orientation, that forms a
learning and practice ground for their next level of
institutional engagement. The result of such preparation
is envisaged to be that the learners would grow to be
confident, comfortable and competent in dealing with the
diverse peoples of their world. These are life skills that
would serve them well throughout their careers and in life
in general.
The duty of the school in terms of transformation and

diversity also extends to equipping the learners to
recognise, analyse and appropriately respond to the
impact of power, privilege and race in their daily lives.
This diversity consciousness in the learners will also
prepare them for future leadership in their chosen
careers where social consciousness is a leadership
attribute. This will also help learners when they enter the
workplace with analytical frameworks to understand the
effect of transitional societal structures such as
employment equity and other transitional tools.

• Quality schools do not subscribe to the ‘colour blindness’

approach
The concept of ‘colour blindness’, however well
intended, can have the effect of disadvantaging the
‘other’ or the minority or subordinate group. Colour
blindness ignores difference, claiming that ‘we are all the
same’. It also discounts the ways in which inequality and
power differences continue to shape lives and
experiences. The colour-blindness approach will then, as
a consequence, not recognise and act on changing
policies and practices that might be having an adverse
effect on others. Quality schools take a realistic and
positive approach that our differences are not supposed
to be negative and divisive but can be a source of
richness in our lives and experiences, provided that they
are handled well.

• Quality schools leverage diversity to enrich the learning

experience
Different ideas and perspectives are an integral part of
key organisational processes such as problem solving,
decision making, creativity and innovation. Diversity is a
driver of innovation as it creates multicultural
competence and develops valuable future social and
professional networks.
Hiring for diversity, once a matter of legal compliance,

has become a matter of economic survival because
creativity comes in all colours, genders and personal
preferences.
Richard Florida
• Quality schools impart values as well as knowledge

It is very doubtful that a homogeneous school in a
diverse society can claim to have key values such as
respect, empathy and sensitivity successfully embedded
in its policies and practices. The school environment
needs to be enabling and inclusive enough to be
experienced similarly by all staff and learners, so that
they can reach their full potential.
• Quality schools adopt an expanded notion of quality

The twin concepts of quality and equality are
inseparable. An educational institution cannot claim to
be of high quality if it does not actively create equal
opportunities for all staff and learners.
Moral arguments
• It is imperative to redress past and present indirect
discrimination
The effects of past discrimination, if left unattended, will
reproduce themselves. And when this happens in a
climate of human rights and social justice, society is
further divided with less opportunity to achieve social

cohesion and solidarity. Schools have a moral duty to

eliminate current indirect discrimination, or systemic
discrimination which occurs when a rule or practice is
applied to all but has a disproportionate impact on some.
Access based on affordability or family ties may at face

value appear fair, but may be unfair when such
advantages accrued as a result of exclusionary laws.
A policy, action (or inaction) that is based on parental

fears or lack of knowledge could easily amount to
racism. When a school gives in to white parental racism
or fear, the decisions or actions of the school itself could
be deemed to be racist and fearful. A school may also
find itself giving in to black parental racism or fear, which
may have the unintended result of reinforcing social
stereotypes about black people.
Another factor that should not be overlooked – but

should also not be understood as an accusation of
wrongdoing by a well-resourced independent school – is
historically accumulated privilege. Some of the traditional
and well-resourced schools that were established
decades ago benefited from the legislative framework of
the past which gave their parent bodies advantages that
other groups were not given. Some of the benefits and
privileges came indirectly through white parents, and
others were accumulated directly through access to
land, capital and permissive regulatory frameworks.
• It is right and proper for schools to contribute to the

future
Schools are very important institutions in society. Over
and above preparing young citizens for success in their
chosen careers, schools are also instruments in the
quest for nation building, furthering the ideals of
democracy, developing social cohesion, and ensuring
social justice and equality as set out in the Constitution.
Leaders of the future are being prepared today at
schools. Socially conscious young citizens who also

boast an excellent academic background would form The stench of

the basis for developing visionary and ethical unfairness is
leadership in all spheres of life. the same all
The need for such leaders is informed by an empirical around: An
realisation that the effects of unfairness to some may organisation
also not be good for the rest, in the long term. that is unfair
to someone else
today may be
2.3 Transformation to diversity: a journey unfair to you
Leadership
tomorrow
Bongwe: 100
Institutions do not become or remain diverse without Lessons in
Diversity
transformational leadership. Dealing with the challenge of
transformational leadership has never been easy, but it is not
insurmountable. Leading with courage, conviction, and
determination, and striving to take everyone along on this
journey, have proven to be essential in maximising the
chances of success – and leading an untransformed school
is becoming more difficult than leading a transforming one.
The first step

The journey presents both risks and opportunities, so it is
understandable when some leaders and schools hesitate
before taking that first step. Some even wait for others to
lead the way. Time is of the essence, however, and further
delay is not going to yield the desired outcomes. It is
ISASA’s hope that school leaders who may have been
hesitating will find the necessary conviction and courage to
begin the journey. The very first step on the journey should
be informed by the belief in the core values of fairness,
empathy, social justice and non-discrimination. ISASA
pledges its support and is providing resources to make that
first step easier.

2.4 Conclusion
If …
ISASA, its member associations and schools make a
strong institutional commitment to diversity, and take
active measures to increase it
Then …
We will be demographically diverse and regarded as
credible players in education and development
And …
Learners, having experienced diversity at school, will be
equipped to participate fully as citizens of their country
and the world.
For reflection:
• What part of the strategic rationale for transformation and
diversity resonates with you, especially for your school?
• What part of the educational logic for transformation and
• What part of the moral arguments for transformation and
• Which one of these arguments would need more
strengthening for maximum effect?
• How can we use these arguments to improve buy-in and
support of our key stakeholders for the school’s efforts
towards transformation and diversity?

3 Institutional change (road map

for schools)
• The impact of the environment on the school and the

impact of institutional change on the school.
• The legal context for transformation and diversity in
organisations.
• A model and description of organisational stages of
diversity or multiculturalism (monolithic, plural, diverse).
• Common challenges to diversity and inclusion.
• Manifestation of an inclusive school culture.
• An outline of the process to be followed in
implementing diversity change within a school.
• An overview of implementation and consultative
structures and their roles in the change process.
3.1 Change to create a diverse and inclusive

school environment
Almost every institution in South Africa is struggling to deal
with diversity in general and racial dynamics in particular
and schools are no exception. This chapter deals with
changing the school as an institution, providing an overview
of the context for change and an outline of the process that
can be followed to implement change within a school.
Systems theory
Systems theory in organisational behaviour can help schools
to understand the impact of change in the education
environment on the school, and its ability to adapt. The
foundation of systems theory is that all the components of an
organisation are interrelated, and that changing one variable
might affect many others. In systems theory, organisations
are viewed as open systems, continually interacting with their
environment. They are in a state of dynamic equilibrium as
3. Institutional change (road map for schools) 39

they adapt to environmental changes (Kast and Rosenzweig,

1972; Scott, 1981). Schools operate in an environment that is
undergoing massive changes, and therefore understanding
and management of the interplay between environmental
variables and internal organisational systems is crucial for
successful and productive institutional change. One change in
the independent school environment is the increasing number
of black parents who opt to send their children to independent
schools. As black parents grow in numbers and economic
power over time, their group confidence and assertiveness
levels will rise to an extent that they would be likely to cease
being happy to ‘assimilate’ or simply being ‘grateful’ for having
their children somewhere other than a poorly resourced local
school. It would be at this point that race will become a factor
if staff demographics have not changed in tandem with
parents. Should this happen, it is likely to affect relationships
and trust, both of which are crucial to effective independent
school education.
3.2 The legal context for institutional change

in schools
The Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998 is the main piece
of legislation that governs and guides organisations on how to
develop, implement, and monitor strategies and plans to
realise the vision of fairness in employment policies and
practices. A school will need to interpret the purpose of the
Employment Equity Act (as stated below) correctly.
The purpose of the Act is to achieve equity in the workplace,

by
• promoting equal opportunity and fair treatment in
employment through the elimination of unfair
discrimination; and
• implementing affirmative action measures to redress the
disadvantages in employment experienced by
designated groups, to ensure their equitable
representation in all occupational categories and levels
in the workforce.

The obvious question would be what type or size of an

organisation is required to comply with all of the provisions of
this Act. The Act calls these organisations ‘designated
employers.’ Non-designated employers also have to comply
with some – but not all – of the provisions of the Act. The Act
defines a designated employer as ‘an employer who employs
50 or more employees, or has a total annual turnover as
reflected in Schedule 4 of the Act, municipalities and organs
of state. Employers can also volunteer to become designated
employers.’
This definition of a designated employer qualifies many

schools for compliance with all the provisions of the Act. Even
for those schools which might not be designated employers,
the Act stipulates that Chapter II (Sections 5-11) applies to all
employers and employees, and that Chapter II is called, and
deals with, the Prohibition of Unfair Discrimination.
The key questions for leaders

With the understanding of both the legal and institutional
perspectives on transformation and diversity, there are some
key questions institutional leaders will have to address.
• With or without the law, are transformation and diversity

the right and sensible initiatives to pursue?
The answer to this question will ensure that the main
driver behind the school’s efforts on transformation and
diversity is not only legal compliance, but the
understanding that transformation makes logical sense
from a variety of important perspectives, including the
legal perspective. The compliance approach tends to
result in a ‘tick box’ exercise where the effort is just to
pacify policy or law enforcers without appreciating the
institutional perspective or a long-term view of the future
benefits for the school. The legal compliance push also
leads to institutions doing the bare minimum, just enough
to stay out of legal trouble.

• Are you free from strong bias?

Institutional leaders are also products of the South
African socialisation process. A leader of a transforming
school must always introspect and should check with
confidantes that their decisions are free from strong bias.
There is a tendency among many leaders to keep hiring
people of a particular racial profile, or to keep promoting
Operational
the same racial or gender profile, and to ascribe this to
definition of
lack of suitably qualified black or female candidates.
Diversity:
This bias is partly unconscious – the leader might not
Diversity is a even know the likely sources of diverse candidates
feature of a because the institution has traditionally been using a
mixed workforce particular source or supplier of candidates. Some areas
that provides a of bias might centre around the accent of candidates
wide range of during the interview process, or the institution from which
ideas, abilities, the candidates have obtained their qualifications. Not all
experience, decisions that might go against a black or female
knowledge and candidate would be based on bias – but the point here is
strengths as a that unfair bias leading to adverse effects on others is
direct and unlawful.
indirect result of • Are you open to different ideas?
people’s age, When the head of school understands the value of
culture, gender, diverse viewpoints in decision making, problem solving,
race, creativity and innovation, then he or she would
nationality, consciously ensure that most structures in the institution
ethnicity, are made up of diverse staff. However, diversity in the
disability status, staff will be a wasted resource if it is not utilised to enrich
religion, sexual institutional processes and decisions. The operational
orientation, definitions of diversity below highlight the value of not
personality and only having a diverse staff, but also of utilising what the
other attributes diverse staff brings with it to the institution.
• Are you curious about diversity?

Some leadership mistakes occur not because of the
leader’s malicious intent but through lack of awareness
and understanding of diversity dynamics. It is important
for leaders to always improve their level of understanding
by asking questions on religion, culture, disability,
nationality, sexuality, ideology and other diversity
differentials in order to be informed. Interacting informally

with diverse staff would greatly assist the leader in

picking up the nuances and perceptions that might be of
value to an understanding of diversity dynamics at the
school. This proactive habit may even prevent the need
to be reactive when a problem arises at the institution.
3.3 Transformation policy and

implementation process
Schools need to understand the legal expectations and
obligations of transformation and diversity. The school needs
to develop a clear policy on transformation and diversity which
must be in line with the Employment Equity Act – and it is not
enough to have a policy on paper without implementing it and
measuring progress. The Act is not as inflexible as some may
have assumed. It talks about an expectation that the
Department of Labour has of an organisation: to make
reasonable progress towards achieving equity in the
workplace.
In order to facilitate effective implementation of transformation

and diversity in the workplace the Department of Labour
suggests a six-step process that can be followed. These steps
are presented in their logical sequence. A school that has
already been implementing part of the components of this
process may find it useful to superimpose the process on the
school’s current activities, to determine where the gaps or
deviations might be.
The six-step process to employment equity

implementation
Step #1: Educate and train all your staff
• Educate your staff on what the Employment Equity (EE}
Act says regarding employee rights and your rights as
an employer.
• It’s also important to train any EE Representative Forum
(such as an EE Committee) so they can have expert
knowledge on the full content of the Act as well as their
responsibilities and reporting requirements.

Step #2: Appoint an Employment Equity manager

• Assign a senior manager to take responsibility to
implement and monitor your EE plan. ‘Ensure the
appointed EE manager has sufficient authority to guide
the process and implement the recommendations of the
committee,’ says the Practical Guide to Human
Resources Management. They should also have
sufficient positional authority to ensure that EE matters
aren’t swept aside in favour of other priorities.
• The EE manager must be a permanent employee, and
key EE outcomes must be incorporated into their
performance contracts (Key Performance Indicators).
They must develop a constitution to govern the EE
process.
Step #3: Form an Employment Equity Committee
• The EE Committee must be composed of representatives
from designated and non-designated groups, and senior
and junior employees.
Step #4: Develop an Employment Equity Plan
• Develop an EE Plan to achieve reasonable progress
towards EE as required by Section 20 of the Act).
Step #5: Complete the income differential statement (IDS)
• The responsible manager (often the financial manager)
must complete the income differential statement and an
income differential report. This form shows the income
differential between employees of different races and
genders in the same occupational levels and explains
any perceived differences. As the form contains
confidential information, some non-public companies
choose not to disclose its contents.
• Step #6: Submit your signed Employment Equity
Report and completed IDS to Department of Labour
A comprehensive sample / template of an Employment Equity

Policy for a school is provided in the Appendix of this book,
page 90.

Institutional change
The forces that compel institutions to undergo change could
come from within and/or outside the institution. When these
change drivers strike the institution, then the institution needs
to respond. On transformation and diversity the logical
response for a school would be to ascertain the degree of
inclusiveness of the institutional culture, and identify and
target aspects of the institution that would require changing.
Is the culture of your school monolithic,

plural or diverse?
Table 1 below contrasts the characteristics of monolithic,
plural and diverse schools. There can be no doubt that older
and more established independent schools could have been
firmly classified as monolithic. Some may still be. Today, most
independent schools would in fact be plural, or transitioning
from monolithic to plural. Some of the newer schools may well
have been plural institutions from conception.
3.4 Stages of organisational diversity

True diversity is not only in the numbers of diverse staff and
learners, but is also in the behaviours, policies, practices, and
experiences of all members of the school. A plural school, for
example, is not necessarily a diverse school because its
power dynamics would automatically favour the dominant
group. A plural school would experience tension and conflict,
with less chance of resolution, because it is hard to shift the
school culture. The conflict would not always be physical or
verbal – it could be psychological.

DIMENSION Monolithic Plural Diverse

school school school
Culture Ignores or Ignores or Values
actively tolerates diversity
discourages diversity
diversity
Acculturation Assimilation Assimilation Pluralism
process
Degree of Minimal Partial Full
structural
integration
Degree of informal Minimal Limited Full
integration
Institutional Ubiquitous Prevalent Minimised or
cultural bias in eliminated
learning and
systems
Inter-group conflict Minimal due Significant Minimised by
to identity management
homogeneity attention
Table 1
As demographics change and the number of black learners

and staff increases, so too will their confidence and
willingness to question, disagree or seek changes. As this
happens, the dominant culture will experience discomfort, and
power relations will be affected. How this point in the transition
is managed is critical to whether the school progresses
towards true diversity. The last ‘dimension’ on the table speaks
to this reality and shows the threat of inter-group conflict which
arises in a plural setting.
Assimilation
It is important to deal with ‘assimilation’, which occurs when
the ‘values, traditions and customs of the dominant group
frame the cultural context of the school’, with the result that
members of subordinate groups are subjected to direct or
indirect pressure to adopt the ways of the institution. In
assimilation, a presumption may be that ‘subordinate groups

represent a threat to the standards of the dominant group and

that the dominant group is superior’. Subordinate groups ‘are
expected to give up their identities and cultures and, critically,
to acknowledge the superiority of the dominant culture, and by
implication, the identities of the groups into whose social
context they are moving’ (Soudien 2004: 95-96).
A monolithic school
As described in Table 1, this school ignores or dismisses
diversity; it expects assimilation; neither formal nor informal
integration is occurring; institutional systems and learning are
biased towards the culture of the dominant group; and there is
little inter-group conflict because the school experiences
‘identity homogeneity’. There is tension in the air in such a
school because the silent minorities are not silent out of
contentment – they are silent because they don’t have a voice
and the environment is intimidating.
A plural school
At a plural school there is increased diversity as
representation increases but, although diversity is not rejected
outright, it is merely tolerated. Here, diversity does not shift the
dominant institutional culture, and ‘others’ are still expected to
assimilate. There is some attempt at formal integration, driven
by compliance, but the school remains divided. The school
begins to experience power plays between previously
marginalised groups which are growing in representation as
the dominant order is being challenged, formally and
informally. Bias in favour of the dominant order prevails in the
learning and institutional system. Because of increased
diversity in the school, inter-group conflict can increase. The
school still experiences diversity as a cost.
A diverse school
Levels of diversity in a diverse school are much like those in
the plural school, but how the school acknowledges and
manages its diversity is vastly different. At a diverse school,
diversity is accepted as the norm and regarded as integral to
quality education. Diversity is viewed and treated as beneficial

to making the school even stronger. It is actively incorporated

into, and shifts, the dominant culture, making the school
environment more inclusive and varied. Bias is actively
identified in the institutional and learning systems and
addressed continuously. Inter-group conflict at a diverse school
is productively resolved through management attention, and
used as points of learning and growth in the school system.
Further manifestations of an inclusive

institutional culture
In addition to the institution’s being representative, receptive,
and fair, the culture of a diverse school will also be
characterised by the following features:
• The school has a story

The transformation journey of the institution is known and
is there for all to see its tangible results and examples of
success. This story helps in dealing with the detractors
and critics of the institution and of the independent
education sector. The story also becomes a powerful
marketing tool for the school.
• Leaders lead by example and can articulate the story

Leaders set the tone at the school. When leaders practise
the desired behaviours, the rest of the staff and the
learners will begin to believe their spoken commitments.
When leaders, for example, say they are committed to
transformation and they back that up with the
appointment of diverse staff (and not only in roles that
have traditionally been filled by black people), then the
leader’s verbal or written commitments and the leader
himself or herself will gain credibility. This is how trust in
leadership is built and sustained in an institution.
• People are given a voice and empathy is practised

When some of the groups in the school feel they have a
voice but there is no ear to listen to them, they may look
for and find an external ear – and this ear may not have
the best interest of the school at heart and may use the
information in a manner that might have an adverse effect
on the institution. In an inclusive environment, all
members of the institution believe that, if they have a

grievance, the matter will best be served by structures

within the organisation. Good listeners in an institution
often tend to be empathetic. They care a lot and are
approachable.
• Hiring for diversity is not an afterthought

An inclusive institutional culture finds it natural to
consider diversity in its hiring decisions. The school’s
decision makers would not need to be reminded to factor
in diversity considerations when making appointments.
• Meetings and projects

Sometimes the institution has to bend its rules to make
the environment inclusive and welcoming to diversity. In
such an environment, meetings, committees and projects
are constituted not only on the basis of policy but also in
the spirit of inclusiveness. Over reliance on ‘the law’ may
produce undesirable results. The institution may be
correct on paper but losing hearts and minds in the
process. Laws and policies are not meant to kill the spirit.
• Team activities
A truly inclusive institution builds real teams and not a
mere aggregation of individuals and groups. When
particular groups opt not to partake in team activities, it
should be known that there is a dynamic or a feeling of
not belonging by that group. The team leader builds a
team, and must always make sure that everybody on the The language
team feels welcome and part of the unit. of intolerance:
• Language English
A truly diverse school would understand that diverse proficiency
learners and staff would have different accents as a tends to be
consequence of their previous language training and the equated with
influence of their mother tongue. A direct or indirect push intelligence by
for similar accents would be an example of the kind of some, even
pressure for assimilation applied to subordinate groups. though the
Learners and staff may choose to adopt an accent of two are not
their choice, including the accent of the dominant group. linked.
But this would be their choice. Also, a truly diverse school Bongwe: 100
would understand that a different accent does not equate Lessons in
Diversity
to the ability or intelligence of the learner or staff member.
.

Accommodation • Best practice on transformation and diversity

of differences: The concept of best practice, when applied to
Reasonable behavioural science in general and transformation efforts
accommodation of in particular, refers to steps and actions taken by the
differences is for organisation that go beyond what is expected by law or
the purpose of policy. But best practice also entails that those steps and
attracting, actions do not breach policy or the law to the detriment of
developing, any member or group in the organisation.
enabling and Celebration of differences is a norm
retaining diverse
•
Culture, religion and disability are the most common
talent, with the
areas that attract the spotlight in organisations. When
full knowledge
learners and staff come to the school, they do not leave
that talent would
come in all colours, behind who they are at home because who they are is
genders, religions, within them. They don’t stop subscribing to their culture
ages, disability and religion. They don’t stop having a disability. Some
status and organisations go beyond merely recognising holidays or
personal dates that are special to subordinate groups by going all
preferences. It out to celebrate them actively in the organisation. But we
must be noted that must throw in a bit of caution: consultation must first take
the principle of place with the parties concerned. If they are comfortable
‘reasonableness’ and happy with the gesture and the form that the
should apply to celebration will take, then the planning could begin. The
both the employee planning must include consultation with student leaders
and the employer. on how to ensure that everyone gets involved, including
It must be a give- the dominant group and other subordinate groups.
and-take
situation form
both sides 3.5 Common challenges to diversity and
Bongwe: 100 inclusion
The ability to see into the future
Lessons in
Diversity
ISASA always tries to keep itself and member schools updated

and informed on developing international trends in the
independent education sector, in order to help schools
conduct comparative analysis and prepare themselves for
changes where necessary. Nobody can predict the future with
absolute certainty, but there are clear trends in society, on
the African continent, in the broader world, in the education
sector in general, as well as in the independent education

sector. When these are correctly analysed, they may point to

certain actions that a school cannot afford to ignore.
Institutions that fail to read and analyse these environmental
and sector trends end up being unprepared for the future.
Failure to prepare may render the school uncompetitive or less
relevant.
When a school has some indication of these future trends and

variables, then it would be incumbent upon the leadership of
the school to start taking decisions today to prepare the
school for the future. The need to transform South African
society, for example, will only go away once transformation
has been achieved – and not only with the passage of time.
With this in mind, a school cannot afford to take the attitude
that ‘this too shall pass’.
Taking control of transformation: being

results-driven
Some organisations do not pursue transformation and diversity
initiatives until or unless there is a problem within their
organisation. This ‘wait and hope’ approach has hurt many
organisations when the problems bring with them an
unwelcome spotlight which finds the organisation completely
unprepared for addressing the challenge while in the glare of
the entire nation. Some South African organisations exhibit
benign neglect of compliance with transformation and
diversity legal mandates, ignoring the duty to comply and
hoping not to get caught out. This conduct is counter-
productive because once they are caught out, they are
penalised, have lost opportunities, and the pressure to
transform under a harsh spotlight may be unbearable. If the
school does not take control of transformation, then
transformation may take control of the school.
Protecting our gains and investing in the

future
Many independent schools have worked tirelessly over many
decades to build institutions of quality. These successes and

gains need to be guarded and protected jealously. When

transformation goes wrong in the school, particularly during
this age of social media and in a transformation-sensitive
period in our country, the school’s image and reputation will
be severely tarnished. When the school performs successfully
on transformation and diversity, it is not only protecting past
achievements, but also investing in future achievements.
Legacy creation
Leaders and excellent teachers come and go in schools.
When these seasoned professionals have reached the age of
retirement, what legacy would they leave behind at the
school? How many of the remaining teachers would they have
groomed and mentored? How many of the teaching interns
would they have taken under their wing and helped to make
excellent teachers of them? A leader who would leave behind
a school that is untransformed and ill-prepared for the future
would not have done justice to his or her illustrious career or to
the school and its future.
Being driven by the business case for

transformation
One of the mistaken views on transformation is that ‘we have
to do it because it’s being forced on us’. This view is lacking in
critical analysis. It doesn’t take into consideration the strategic
rationale, the educational logic and the moral argument for
transformation. More importantly, such a view also ignores the
huge benefits that would accrue to the school from effective
and successful transformation, especially in the medium and
long term.

3.6 Outline of the institutional

transformation process
The road map below outlines key steps in the process of
transforming the school as an institution. We recommend that
you consider using it in your own school.
Develop a clear transformation and diversity policy
Establish a transformation and diversity task team
Identify key diversity issues
Design a transformation and diversity plan
Consult stakeholders
Identify key focus areas
Allocate resources and

measure and evaluate progress
Transformation policy
The transformation and diversity policy for the school is an
official expression of what the school intends to accomplish,
and it sets the parameters for actions. This policy should be
aligned with the Employment Equity Act, to ensure that the
school will be legally compliant over and above the
institutional sensibility of having a diverse and inclusive
institution.

Transformation Team
When creating a transformation team, schools should consider
having representatives from the following constituencies:
• The Board
• Senior management
• Staff
• Parents
• Alumni
• Independent experts
• Learner representatives
This team must be led by an influential leader. According to the

Employment Equity Act, the organisation must appoint, in
writing, an employment equity manager who is currently a senior
member of the organisation’s leadership team. The school must
also be mindful of the legal requirement for such structures. This
is to prevent a scenario where the school’s transformation team
is representative, but still not legally compliant.

Composition of the consultative team on

employment equity
The Employment Equity Act requires an employer organisation
to consult with its employees or their representatives on the
implementation of the organisation’s employment equity plan.
In Section 16, the Act states that a designated employer must
consult with employees: ‘With a representative trade union
representing members at the workplace and its employees or
representatives nominated by them or if no representative
trade union represents members at the workplace, with its
employees or representatives nominated by them.’ These
employees ‘must reflect the interests of employees from
across all occupational categories and levels of the
employer’s workforce; employees from designated groups;
and employees who are not from designated groups.’
Statement of values
Consider the essential elements of the school – its values and
goals – and express them in a document. This could be in the
form of a Statement of Intent or Statement of Values. This
statement would explain the school’s official position on these
diversity differentials and organisational practices.
F Religion? F Diversity/Race?
F Gender? F Class?
F Excellence? F Tradition?
F Individuality? F Discipline?
F Academic? F Communication?
F Sport? F Community service?
F Competitiveness? F Facilities?
F Tolerance? F Environment?
F Inclusiveness?
The statement must also demonstrate care and respect for

diversity and inclusion, and the school’s desire to reasonably
accommodate differences. This statement will go a long way
to allay fears (founded and unfounded) about institutional
transformation that involves diversity.

3.7 A sample charter document:
CENTURY SCHOOL
TRANSFORMATION CHARTER
q Century School provides quality education. We, the Century
community agree that the values and ethos of the school are
critical factors in striving towards leadership.
q We strive to develop the individual talents and attributes of each
boy and girl, to acknowledge and celebrate their abilities, and to
provide for their wellbeing.
q We involve the girls and boys in a broad range of opportunities
across academic, sport, music, art, community work and other
activities.
q We expect to deliver and achieve the highest standards in all
pursuits, and to be at the forefront of the appropriate use of
technology, teaching methods and learning support.
q We are a school that respects and welcomes all religions.
q We are proud of our heritage. We protect appropriate traditions
while embracing valuable change.
q We recognise that social and economic privilege has
concomitant responsibilities.
Our values
q Responsibility for self, property and the consequences of our
actions
q Respect in all interactions with members of the school and
broader community
q The pursuit of excellence
q Tenacity and competitiveness
q Equanimity in handling success and failure
q Tolerance, understanding, kindness and generosity of spirit
Commitment
We commit ourselves to a school that:
q pursues excellence
q provides a balance and range of experiences
q is inclusive
q broadly represents South African society
q offers education for life
q is connected to its community

Key transformation and diversity Issues

It is important to identify key diversity issues to be addressed
at the school. There are different data collection methods (or a
combination) that could be used effectively, including pen-
and-paper surveys, focus groups and interviews. The
important thing about the collected data is that it must be both
credible and valid, and the credibility of the data collection
method and data collector is of paramount importance. The
suggested model below is a broad guide to a process.
Important
Include any existing
冎
Status Dialogue must be moderated Change? transformation
Quo by an external party undertakings/
successes/failures
Mapping the current situation in the school against

the statement of values and goals.
Religion?
Gender?
Excellence?
Individuality?
Academic?
Sport?
Competitiveness?
Tolerance?
Inclusiveness? Transformation
Diversity/Race? goals
Tradition?
Discipline?
Class?
Communication?
Hidden curriculum?
Community service?
Facilities?
Environmental?
If the survey or audit finding on how the school currently

functions in relation to each of the dimensions listed in the
diagram points to changes that are required to be made in the
school environment, then alternative desired future states
should be clearly articulated as transformation goals.

Examples of goal statements for

transformation
Goal 1:
To foster and communicate our commitment to transformation
so that it is understood, accepted and supported by all key
stakeholders at the school.
Goal 2:
To establish an enabling and welcoming environment:
• that is welcoming to all;

• where learners, parents and staff value themselves and
• that learns to respect differences that exist in our school
and society;
• that understands that achieving unity in our diversity
would be a source of strength for individuals and the
school, and
• that is an open platform that allows and grows from
dissonance through constructive dialogue in a safe
space, within a framework of ethical and value based
rules.
Goal 3:
To work diligently in ensuring that the learner population
becomes more racially diverse.
Goal 4:
To make reasonable progress in ensuring that the Century
School Staff is racially representative across all occupational
levels and categories.
Goal 5:
As an institution, Century School is committed to assisting in
the transformation of the South African economy and society
by supporting BEE compliant companies in our procurement
and tendering policies.
Goal 6:
To plan, implement, measure and report Century School’s
activities relating to these transformation goals.

Transformation plan
Once the transformation goals have been identified and
written down, it is important to begin construction of a plan of
action using each of the goals as a point of departure.
Below, we provide a template that can be used for that
purpose.
Goals vs. Limitations
Size:
g Number of classes/classrooms
Goal g Pupil-teacher ratio
statement g Property/campus size
Location:
g Economics of catchment area
g Diversity of catchment area
g Commuter options
g Boarding options
Cost:
g Fees
g Extra-murals
g Facilities and rates
g Endowment funding
History:
g Tradition
g Race
g Ethos
g Class
g Religion
g Culture
g Gender
Stakeholder consultation
This is the most important part of the process. Its main aim is
to obtain buy-in from all stakeholders – some institutions put
this step much earlier in the process in order to ensure that all
stakeholders are part of the process from the beginning.
Another very important aim of this part of the process, one that

has often been overlooked, is the input that stakeholders can

make to the whole transformation effort. Once people have
been genuinely consulted and feel that they have been heard
and their input considered, some may find no valid reason to
oppose what the institution has tabled in a transparent and
participative manner. The ownership that comes from
consultative participation cannot be over-emphasised.
Intentional communication strategy:
q Open forums
q Focus groups
q Volunteers
q E-mail feedback
q Anonymous feedback
q Expert speakers
q Private conversations
q Seek outliers
q Forum of black parents
q Forum of black staff
Parents
Current
Staff Transformation learners
team and alumni
Community
Areas of focus
It is important to identify key categories and areas in the
school community that need to be transformed first, and then
to begin to establish a sense of the extent of transformation
that needs to take place at each level.

Proposed school community transformation template

Exemplar sub-categories
• Diversity (numbers)
• Independents (numbers/
background)
Board • Community service (initiatives)
Staff • Community service (initiatives)
• Training/assessment (progress)
• Financial assistance (% and
Learners background)
• Community service (initiatives)
• Curriculum (changes)
• BEE spending (%)

• New suppliers (% change)
Procurement • Enterprise development
(initiatives)
• Community service (initiatives)

Social Development
• Community support (financial)
• Parent involvement (initiatives)
Example of scorecard
Many organisations have found it valuable to develop a
diversity and transformation scorecard to plot their
performance in terms of representation and the actions to be
taken to achieve the various goals they have set themselves.
Below is an example of a scorecard that schools could use.
SCORECARD COMMENT ACTION

BOARD
Race
Nationality
Gender
Independence
Community
STAFF: ACADEMIC
Race
Nationality
Gender
Diversity Training
Community

SCORECARD COMMENT ACTION

STAFF: TEMPORARY School Specific
Race
Nationality
Gender
Diversity Training
Community
STAFF: NON-ACADEMIC
Race
Nationality
Gender
LEARNERS
South African:
White
African
Coloured
Indian
Asian
Other nationalities
% black non-South Africans
Bursaries: % of total
Bursaries: % black (African,
Indian, Coloured)
Community service
PROCUREMENT
BEE Rating
Enterprise Development
SOCIO-ECONOMIC
External business
External other funding
Community Service
Parents
Policy changes
Consider and document the resulting changes in policy that
would be required as a result of the collected data and the
vision and policy on transformation for the school:
q Admissions? q Sport?
q Language? q Discipline?
q Curriculum? q Communication?
q Community service? q Environmental?

Resources
It is important to consider what resources will be required for
the transformation and diversity initiative to be successful. The
diagram below illustrates the kind of expenditure that may
arise as a result of transformation-related interventions. The
box on the left contains ‘expense’ items spent each month or
year, and the one on the right contains ‘capital’ items that are
bought once-off and become assets.
Because transformation is not a once-off event but a long term

process, it is advisable that it be budgeted for over the
duration of the plan, with annual reviews being conducted.
That explains why the Employment Equity Act stipulates that
the Employment Equity Plan should not be less than one year
and not more than five years in duration. A subsequent plan
gets developed after the expiry of the current plan. Annual
reporting on progress being made on the implementation of
the plan is required by law.
Example:
Example:
Expenses
Capital Items
(Monthly/Yearly)
• Staff training • Housing

• Scholarships • Teaching
• Support resources
• Salaries • Classrooms
• Consulting • Land
• Grounds • Sports
• IT • Transport
• Repairs • IT hardware
• Marketing
Evaluation and feedback loop
Plan Announce Implement Measure Report
The transformation team should decide what should be disclosed.

Not all details need to be transparent.

For reflection
• Does our school have a policy on transformation and
diversity or an employment equity plan?
• If a policy or plan is in place, how effectively has it
been communicated to the staff of the school?
• Has there been any consultation with the staff on the
school’s transformation and diversity agenda?
• What are the main supporting variables at our school
for transformation to be a success?
• What are the main intervening (hindering) variables at
our school on transformation and diversity?

4 Individual change and

development

‘Organisations
• Individual psychological factors in transformation and don’t
diversity. transform,
• Approaches to overcoming the individual paradigm people do’
shift challenge.
Barett 2006
• The process of individual change and development for
members of the Transformation Team.
• Self-insight as a crucial part of the personal change
journey in diversity.
• Identifying barriers to individual and institutional
change.
• Understanding the role of the teacher as a change
agent.
Introduction
Institutional and societal change will never be realised if
individuals in that institution or society do not change
themselves. So, if individual change is a gateway to
institutional and societal change, the question that we then
have to answer is ‘Why would people choose or want to
change?’ If organisations fail to answer ‘What is in it for the
individual in the change process?’ many people would find it
difficult to justify to themselves why they need to join the
transformation journey.
Before a detailed discussion of this chapter, which involves

an intervention that produces individual and group
paradigm shifts in the school, we would like to make a few
introductory comments:
• This component of the transformation process in

schools can be undertaken after, before or alongside
4. Individual change and development 65

the institutional change component, depending on where

the school is currently in its attempts to address the
transformation need. However, it has been proved that,
since this component of the change process is at its
core, it should be implemented as part of the process
and not as an auxiliary.
• Each school, depending on its context and
circumstances, will have to make an assessment of the
right time and process to follow in undertaking
interventions that are targeting people-change in the
school. However, whatever the school does must appear
to be implemented, and experienced, as a well thought-
out process. If the transformation initiative is disjointed
and incoherent it would be difficult to have a sound and
effective communication strategy for the change
process.
• The individual change and development component of
this Guide is a personal transformation and change
intervention targeting school boards, governors,
managers and administrators; educators; and learners
(later in the process).
• Leaders and educators may need to undergo the
personal transformation journey first to enable them to
facilitate and support the process of transformation,
diversity and social justice among learners.
• In this chapter, we are suggesting that the
Transformation and Diversity Task Team (referred to and
set up as part of the institutional change component) or
the school’s Employment Equity Committee (as per the
prescripts of the EE Act) should be the first group to
engage with the individual development and change
process as set out below. This gives the school an
opportunity to:
o Develop a cohort of champions and mentors for
personal and group change who have a deeper
understanding of transformation.
o Design a process that is customised and appropriate
for the school.
o Test material and understand responses to the
material, and in this way ensure that the programme
is appropriate for the larger school body.

• Each school should decide for itself which should be the

appropriate group to start the process. It is also possible
that some schools may opt to design a personal
transformation and change journey and then implement
this immediately across the entire spectrum of school
stakeholders.
• This chapter of the Guide offers a generic process that is
broadly aimed at understanding issues relating to
inclusion, fairness, racialisation, diversity, social justice
and transformation at the individual and group level. It is
not a process that is aimed specifically at preparing
teachers to address and integrate transformation and
diversity issues into the curriculum or classroom.
While this component may enable the above, a separate

process needs to be undertaken to prepare teachers to
take up issues of inclusion, fairness, racialisation,
diversity, social justice and transformation in the
classroom and the curriculum specifically.
4.1 The personal change journey
Individual paradigm shift
The purpose of this part of the Guide is to build individual and

collective capacity to understand and overcome the impact of
the following on inequality:
Nationality Attitudes
Culture Religion
History Language
Curriculum Methodology
Race Socio-economic class
Sexuality Ability
Rural/urban differences
Individual understanding of the above factors and the ability

to handle them effectively revolves around how the individual
has been socialised. The challenge lies in the associations

that people make with these diversity differentials or

components, rather than the components themselves. Unless
we allow and help people to introspect in a constructive spirit,
they will keep on viewing others and issues on diversity using
their own socialised lens. In most cases this particular view is
not entirely free from bias.
4.2 Outline of the process for personal

transformation
The map below shows an example of a process that a school
can follow to plan for and roll out the personal transformation
part of its transformation and diversity initiative, initially with its
Transformation and Diversity Task Team or Employment Equity
Committee, and later with the broader school community. We
recommend that schools consider using this process map to
guide them in implementing the personal transformation part
of the school’s initiative.
Define team
Prepare for personal journey
Identify barriers
Decide on process and interventions
Personal evaluation
Proceed to institution-wide personal transformation journey
The personal transformation journey is complemented by

activities undertaken as part of the messaging and institutional
change components, which create an enabling environment
for undertaking the individual and group change process. We
will now discuss separately each of the steps outlined above.

4.3 Define the transformation team

As indicated earlier, the key to institutional transformation is
individual transformation. This transformation must go deeper
than the intellect. The core team that will lead the
transformation process, the Transformation and Diversity Task
Team or Employment Equity Committee, should participate
together in a structured programme of personal development
and be able to become champions of the process and role
models for others in the organisation. This should be the same
team that gets established as part of the process in the
institutional change component. If you have started with this
component, then the team will have to be set up from scratch.
Some of the key enabling attributes of the individual people in
the team are:
q Passion: strong positive motive and belief in the change
process.
q Commitment: willingness to dedicate one’s effort to the
purpose.
q Courage: unwavering belief in action even in the face of
resistance.
q Willing to be on a personal journey of transformation: not
being forced to partake.
q Willingness to talk about transformation: being a
champion and advocate for change.
q Willingness to be challenged and influenced by others:
openness to different views on what one strongly
believes in.
q Accepting that you ‘don’t know what you don’t know’:
opportunity for growth.
q Accepting the differences among South African people:
valuing diversity.
Composition of the transformation team

It is important that the Transformation and Diversity Task Team
or Employment Equity Committee established in the
institutional component is representative of the entire school
community and the members can act as role models and
champions for all sections of the school community. If this is
not the case, you may want to extend and co-opt additional

members, so that the team that goes through the initial

individual change and development process is fully
representative of the whole school community and also meets
the requirements of the Employment Equity Act. This team will
later assist with the roll-out of a similar process across the
entire school community.
There are several reasons why the Transformation Team or the

Employment Equity Committee should be representative of the
school’s key stakeholders:
• To earn the trust of all stakeholders and members of the
school that their interests will not be forgotten in the
deliberations, decisions and actions.
• To ensure that all perspectives, hopes, and fears are
heard, factored in and addressed in the transformation
process.
• To ensure compliance with Employment Equity
legislation on transformation consultative structures.
It is therefore going to be important for the school to check

that the structure enjoys sufficient representation according to
the table below.
Different groups ‘Black’ ‘White’ ‘People with ‘Non-SA’

to be included Disabilities’
Leadership
Governors
Staff
Teachers
Learners
Parents
Union
representatives
(if any)
4.4 Prepare for a personal journey

The first factor that the Transformation and Diversity Task
Team will have to understand is that the transformation journey
begins as a personal change process. Learning will happen at
various levels and will involve cognitive, emotional and

behavioural change. It is important that the team understands

and accepts this and is willing to experience the benefits –
and sometimes discomfort – that arises from working at these
various levels.
The following diagram graphically illustrates what the personal

journey entails:
2 Head 2. An understanding of
what should be done
1 Heart
1. Starting with a personal
and emotional engagement
with the challenge
3 Hands
3. The actual implementation
of the process can only
come after 1 & 2
Identify barriers
Members of the Transformation Team must be adequately
prepared and made to understand that their learning will be
cognitive, emotional and behavioural and that their worldview
may be challenged. This may be uncomfortable to some but it
also represents an opportunity for growth in terms of one’s
perspectives and understanding.
There will be challenges: resistance to change; financial

constraints; time constraints.
The team will have to think carefully and innovatively about

how to deal with these and other barriers to the initiative.

The power and impact of socialisation

The transformation process involves dealing with cherished
beliefs, values and attitudes. It involves having to deal with
how people had been socialised. It also involves challenging
and reviewing one’s own worldview and what individuals were
often taught by people with whom they have had very close
relationships: fathers, mothers, siblings, teachers, pastors,
family and friends. An individual’s worldview contains the
‘truths’ they know and the ‘rules’ they use and have been
using to navigate through life. Part of the growth and
development of the individual team members will come from
their having to understand that our ‘truths’ and ‘rules’ that have
been valid and effective in a homogeneous setting may not be
as valid and effective in a diverse setting. In fact, some may
even be the ‘very wrong’ thing to do, even if our intentions
were good.
This makes the transformation process an eye-opener for

some and unsettling for others. The team must also be ready
to consider and deal with resistance from its own members
and other stakeholders in the organisation. Below we offer
potential areas of, and reasons for, resistance.
Likely reasons for resistance

• Fear
o Negative feelings or experiences about
transformation
o Assumed or perceived drop in ‘standards’
o Loss of ‘customers’
o Loss of traditions
o Fear of ‘the other’
o Fear of moving into unknown territory
• Lack of knowledge
o Being fearful of not knowing and not understanding
what transformation actually means.
o Not understanding exactly what the process entails –
looking for a formula for a process that is non-
formulaic.

o Looking for and wanting to first establish success

stories.
o Assuming worst case scenario for themselves or the
school.
• What is the value of change?

o Nothing benefits ‘me’ or ‘What’s in it for me?’
o Is there a benefit in diversity?
o Not wanting to change the way things are currently.
• Why bother?
o ‘It ain’t broke’ syndrome.
o ‘We’ve heard this so many times before. This too
shall pass’ attitude.
• Wanting to stay in comfort zones

o ‘Sameness’
o Tradition/sport
o Language
o Religion
o Race
o Socio-economic class
Deciding on the process and interventions

It is important to decide right at the beginning how the
personal journey will be structured – what route it is going to
follow and what lies ahead as milestones. Our advice is that
some time should be spent considering and planning the
long-term process upfront, but this may change as the group’s
needs change at various stages. You may have to remain
flexible even though you have a plan. Before considering the
process and interventions, we offer some explanations and
definitions of key concepts that are part of the personal
transformation process. This is followed by a framework for a
personal transformation journey. In discussing both, we
illustrate what the journey might entail, giving examples of
exercises that might be included in the journey and
framework; we also refer you to additional resources that
could help you to understand the work required during the
personal transformation journey.

Definitions of key concepts explored on the

personal transformation journey
The framework for personal transformation adopted in this
Guide explores and revolves around certain concepts. We
offer definitions of a few key concepts below.
• Socialisation process
Socialisation is a process of being introduced to, and
taught, particular norms, values, customs and ideologies
about yourself, your people and society as a way of
preparing you to function within your environment. Sadly,
in racially, ethnically, or religiously divided and
discriminatory societies, most socialisation about ‘the
other’ tends to be negative. Enculturation is a term linked
to socialisation, referring to being socialised into a
particular culture.
• Race and racism

We proceed from the premise that there is one race: the
human race. While the biological basis for there being
different races has been debunked, ‘race’ is still used as
a social and political category and remains a tenacious
social construct. There are numerous academic
definitions of the concept of race, but in South Africa
race not only defined the physical or biological features
of certain groups, but was mainly used to ‘describe’ the
characteristics and ‘quality’ of the different races, and
policy was developed to justify divisions, including
discrimination against black South Africans, Indians and
coloureds.
We work with a definition of racism that is drawn from

social psychology and is understood to be both political
and personal. De la Rey and Duncan (2003: 46) define
racism when applied to organisations as:
… an institutionalised system whereby certain
racialised groups are systematically dominated or
marginalised by another racialised group or
groups and where the inequalities and abuses that
the phenomenon seeks to entrench are primarily

legitimated or justified, and consequently

reproduced by means of systematic inferiorisation or
‘negativisation’ of dominated racialised groups.
• Racialisation
The term ‘racialisation’ is widely used and has many
definitions. We have chosen the definition that describes
racialisation as the process by which:
o social and psychological processes put people into
racial categories, thus influencing attitudes and
behaviours;
o ‘race’ becomes significant through social, economic,
cultural, and psychological processes (Murji &
Solomons, 2006, p.8);
o ‘racial concepts and structural conditions order lives
and delimit human possibilities’ (Murji & Solomons,
2006, p.6)
Racialisation is essentially about how we have all been
programmed in particular ways to be ‘racial’ subjects
while de-racialisation involves undoing this
programming.
• Internalised dominance and internalised oppression

Racism and racialisation give rise to, and are sustained
through, internalised domination and internalised
oppression.
Internalised domination is the incorporation and

acceptance by individuals within a dominant group of
prejudices against others. Internalised domination is
likely to consist of feelings of superiority and self-
righteousness, together with guilt, fear, projection, denial
of reality, and alienation from one’s body and from
nature. Internalised domination perpetuates oppression
of others and alienation from oneself by either denying or
degrading all but a narrow range of human possibilities.
One’s own humanity is thus internally restricted and
one’s qualities of empathy, trust, love, and openness to
others and to life-enhancing work become rigid and
repressed.

Internalised oppression is the incorporation and

acceptance by individuals within an oppressed group of
the prejudices against them within the dominant society.
Internalised oppression is likely to consist of self-hatred,
self-concealment, fear of violence and feelings of
inferiority, resignation, isolation, powerlessness, and
gratefulness for being allowed to survive. Internalised
oppression is the mechanism within an oppressive
system for perpetuating domination not only by external
control but also by building subservience into the minds
of the oppressed groups (Pheterson, 1986: 149-150).
The above concepts are used frequently and are explored in

much more detail as part of the work outlined in the
framework.
4.5 Personal transformation framework

Below, we offer suggestions for a framework for a personal
transformation journey. These are some of the essential areas
that we believe a personal journey should cover.
Redefine Race-based
transformation work
Individual
paradigm
shift
History: how The
the past shapes democracy
the present project
What do each of the areas and topics involve?

The brief notes below will help you make sense of the
framework suggested above. Ideas for exercises are included
to illustrate the ‘work’ to be done as part of the personal
transformation journey. There is also a resource section in this

Guide which offers further reading so that you can gain a

better understanding and grasp of the areas/topics suggested
as part of the framework.
• History: How the past shapes the present

We have learned from the experiences of others
(segregation in the United States, the Holocaust, and the
Indian caste system) that oppression is pervasive and
often systemic. We thus have to understand the roots of
racism and other oppressions if we are to root them out.
In South Africa, legislation, structures and policies have
changed but the structures established by historical
racism and apartheid practices remain. We have to
understand these.
South Africa and international historical case studies can

be used to explain and discuss the origins of modern
South African social and economic conditions and the
challenges that they continue to present.
Some examples of activities include:

• Personal testimonies (best)
• Visit to the Apartheid Museum and other South
African monuments, and debriefing about what
the past may mean in the present
• Presentation on socio-economic reality in South
Africa
• Presentation on, for example, African slavery,
the Holocaust or colonialism
• Role playing with race classification
• Redefine transformation
We have observed that individuals find it very difficult to
begin to conceptualise or define transformation, even
though the term has been used often in South Africa. To
start the work on defining transformation would be to
attempt to define and scope it as a group.

It might be helpful in understanding the process of

transformation to read Nene Molefi’s (2017), A Journey of
Diversity and Inclusion in South Africa and Mamphela
Ramphele’s (2008), Laying Ghosts to Rest, Chapter X.
Both of these books are included in the References
section at the end of this book.
We would like to make the following points about

transformation:
o Transformation is often seen as something that gets
done for the benefit of ‘historically disadvantaged
individuals’. This view needs to be reframed.
Transformation in South Africa should be about
everyone’s potential, wellbeing and belonging. It
should be based on an aspirational view of what is
possible, and should include everyone.
o It is important to discuss the implications of a
‘personal’ transformation.
o The implications of transformation for the individual in
the context of the school also need to be discussed.

• A group activity in which you attempt various
definitions of transformation to discover what
people are thinking.
• A reading of the Preamble to the Constitution
(included in the Resource section of the toolkit).
This provides us with an idea of what
transformation means and what is asked of each
of us as part of South Africa’s broader
transformation project.
Understanding human diversity broadly and

deeply
A common misconception about human diversity is that the
process of diversity education mostly centres around
understanding other people and their culture. The main problem
with this understanding is that it assumes that the ‘mental lens’ I
will be using in processing issues, people and their behaviour is
clean. One cannot understand others correctly without having

examined their current worldview, how they had already

been socialised about ‘the other’. This body of knowledge
that we already possess about ‘them’ leads us, at times
without our consciousness, to develop expectations of an
individual on the basis of our expectation of a group. The
reason for this is that when people are socialised, they are
not socialised as individuals but as groups.
Personal growth with regard to transformation and diversity

will come mostly from self-insight, introspection and the
willngness to change.
It might be helpful in
understanding human diversity
and yourself to read Stanley I.
Bongwe (2010), 100 Lessons in
Diversity: Learning about yourself
and others.


• A group activity on understanding and
appreciating the uniqueness of colleagues.
• Self-assessment on one’s level of meaningful
exposure at different stages of life.
• Understanding your self-image, self-esteem and
self-confidence.
• Understanding your own racial and gender
stereotypes.
• Understanding unconscious bias.
Race-based work: Internalised dominance

and internalised oppression
Besides understanding the role we have to play in
transformation, each of us has to embark on a personal
journey that engages with the ways in which we have been
influenced by race, dominance, oppression and victimhood.
Every person in South Africa has been exposed to some form

of racialisation through apartheid messaging that has been
carried through generations. One component of the
transformation project is about unlearning our own
racialisation and the various prejudices and stereotypes we
have developed around gender, class, religion, sexuality,
health status and abilities. This work involves:
• Examining our own biases (conscious and unconscious)
assumptions and prejudice with regard to race, gender,
ethnicity, religion, sexuality, and other factors.
• Analysis of socialisation in terms of superiority or
inferiority and how these complexes affect our view of
others and our interaction with them.
• Analysis of personal experiences that might cloud
perspectives, as experiences with diverse individuals
should not be generalised across the whole group to
which they belong.
• Working with personal expectations and fears, and being
able to recognise that my reaction to others may be
informed by my projection of my own insecurities.

• Breaking out of comfort zones can be a daunting

challenge for some but also a great opportunity to learn
and grow.

• Understanding internalised dominance and
internalised oppression.
• Reviewing race-based elements of media
coverage.
• Reviewing culture, norms and behaviour across
race groups.
• Reviewing how sport, art, music and fashion are
influenced by prejudice and stereotyping.
• Sharing of personal experiences.
• Crossover workshops – teachers/
governors/learners/parents.
4.6 Democracy Project

Once we have understood our own racialisation and
internalised dominance and oppression, we have to think
about how we want to be in relationships with those from
whom we have been separated so that we can overcome
aspects of oppression and marginalisation that continue to
play out in our lived experiences. Individuals have to find new
ways of:
• Being in conversation
For some people this will take some getting used to. But
once you’ve dealt with the anxiety of what to talk about
and how to be in conversation outside of your cultural
context, you discover the richness of inter-cultural and
interracial dialogue. Over and above the new
discoveries, this leads to the development of very useful
communication and human relations skills in the
workplace.

• Being and working together

Diverse South Africans spend far more time with their
diverse compatriots at work than in the broader society.
When diverse people work together effectively, they tend
to grow individually and collectively as they learn from
one another. Being and working together is therefore a
useful habit and skill that can only be of benefit to the
individual.
• Defining belonging
Sometimes we create our own world around us. Being
included and having a sense of belonging is not only
what other people can do for the individual, but it is also
how the individual decides to work themselves into the
team by getting involved in activities. The truth though is
that it is easier for the dominant group to make the
minority person feel included than it is for the minority
person to break into the dominant group on their own.
• Defining who they are in relation to each other, and how

they contribute to South Africa.
A sense of community spirit and service to the
community are some of the building blocks to a better
and united South Africa. The workplace has the potential
to set good examples in our country, especially
independent schools many of which actually have more
racial diversity than the majority of public schools.
The work of the Democracy Project involves:

• Practising being in deep dialogue across differences
and divides.
• Discussions around what it means to be an active
transformed citizen of modern South Africa.
• Community building.
• Exercises, ideas, innovations relating to the individual’s
personal role in this respect, specifically relating to the
school.
• Exercises, ideas, innovations relating to the school and
its broader community.

• Enabling parents, learners, and teachers to engage with

diversity, inclusivity and transformation issues not only in
a theoretical but also in an experiential way. Change and
learning often take place when we least expect it, but
most often they happen when we have created a
conducive environment for engagement.
To understand more fully the need to be in deep

conversation and what this means for the Democracy
Project, we have included a reading in the Reference
section titled: Agreeing to talk about race (Ch 4) in
Singleton, G.& Linton, C. (2006). Courageous
Conversations about Race.
To think more about active citizenship, we suggest

reading Do It by James Motlatsi & Bobby Godsell (2008)
where they describe how we all have to move out of our
‘ghettoes’ to become active citizens and they have given
an example of a Citizens’ Charter.

• Defining new identities for ourselves in a
democratic South Africa.
• Talking about activities and behaviours that
individuals can engage in daily that contribute
to change in the country.
4.7 The teacher as a change agent

Most of what happens at schools revolves around the teacher.
The teacher has to create an enabling environment for the
learners to reach their true potential. This means that the
teacher has to have an appreciation and understanding of
human nature. Learner diversity is not only in terms of race,
gender or religion, but is also in terms of learning styles,
personalities, mother tongue background, and readiness
levels as some learners may be coming from a school or

school system that has prepared them differently to those that

had been at the school. The teacher’s role is not only
restricted to the classroom.
The teacher as a role model

The teacher has an added responsibility to model good
behaviour in the classroom on diversity, fairness, and
humaneness. A teacher who shows signs of prejudice through
words or action in class is not a good role model and risks
losing credibility and respect from their learners. These
learners will also tell their parents and friends on campus
about the teacher’s prejudice. A teacher also has to model the
right behaviour on campus in general – when interacting with
learners who don’t even attend the teacher’s class.
The teacher as an ambassador of the school

Teachers also need to bring recognition and appreciation of
diversity to their interactions with parents. If parents sense that
the teacher has diversity or racial issues, they will not trust the
fairness of the teacher in dealing with their child.
The teacher as part of staffroom diversity

The composition of staffrooms in most independent schools is
gradually becoming more diverse. Within school staffrooms
there needs to be consensus and solidarity on the issues of
transformation and diversity. A racially divided staffroom is not
good for the school.
4.8 General remarks

A house
• One size does not fit all …
divided
o Thought must be given to the composition of the
against itself
transformation team and the appropriate content of
cannot stand.
the intervention for the group.
Abraham o If only the school board or only educators are the
Lincoln
targeted group, the content of the intervention may
have to vary.

o If the school is aligning its initiative with the The teacher as

Employment Equity Act, the composition of the a leader
transformation team will also need to be aligned with ‘A teacher is a
the requirements of this Act.
current leader
• People learn in different ways … who is in the
Consider carefully the most appropriate methods of business of
interaction, given the personality and ‘style’ of the developing
audience. future leaders.
o Readings, case studies.
Stanley Bongwe
o Lectures, explanations, individuals offering personal
accounts or testimony.
o Outings and visits to places of historic or present day
relevance that teach us about transformation (for
example, Museums, monuments, Constitutional Hill)
o Group-based workshops.
o Group-based workshops with crossover participation
from other races, schools, or socio-economic groups.
• Don’t rush …
There is no point proceeding until the team SOFT
trusts the process and its aims …

But
Beware of over-intellectualising the process –
the key is for members of school change teams
to have authentic and increasingly challenging HARD
experiences of difference.
• Last words…
We would like to advise you to use the framework
provided above to design a workshop for the whole
transformation team. Please take the following into
consideration:
o The actual workshop should be designed with
professional help. A poorly designed and facilitated
workshop could do more damage than good. An
ideal workshop is one that is strongest on the
educational value, is authentic and serious, but is
also fun to take part in. Once that balance has been
struck, it will be apparent from the response of the
delegates.

o It is important to identify key outcomes – a desired

end-state that aligns and harmonises all interventions
and processes. These outcomes must be informed
by the needs of the trainee group as opposed to
being determined by the need of the workshop
designer.
o The workshop must be professionally moderated or
facilitated. Do not be tempted to save money with
‘amateur experts’, especially parents. It is also very
important to get to know the training professional’s
philosophical underpinnings on transformation and
diversity. Less experienced facilitators who are on
the extreme points of the arguments or sitting on the
fence on this topic can be potentially dangerous.
Experienced facilitators tend to be genuine and
come across as such to the audience, but they also
understand that whatever position they hold on the
issues, their job is to educate.
o Beware of starting ‘too fast’ or hitting the ‘sore points’
first. This is a process and not an event. It is
unrealistic and destined to fail if the workshop is
designed to cover the entirety of both these broad
topic together with their sub-topics. Information over-
load does not work that well for many people.
o Structure, emphasis, methods and pace must be
tailored to the school’s situation. The data collected
in the consultation phase will hugely influence
content and intended outcomes. We need to caution
here that it is not uncommon to find schools who
would say they are not ready. In fact some of those
schools may never be ready, because some of them
advance that argument as a form of passive
resistance.
o The initial process may result in the training of
internal champions, who can then continue the
process at the next level of engagement. This must
be clearly defined in terms of how the champions are
selected, what their exact role will be, whether
they receive specialist skills to carry out the
responsibilities of the role, and what is their current
reputation at the school.

o ‘Comfort zones’ should be provided outside the team

for participants to seek advice or counselling, or to
let off steam. ISASA or independent consultants and
facilitators may play this role.
After the process

Discuss and design specific interventions for the school that
feed into Institutional Change process and goals. Consider
especially changes in:
• curriculum or hidden curriculum
• extra-murals
• community service
• traditions, sport, music, art, outings etc
• teacher assessment or training.
Personal evaluation
It is important for individuals involved in the personal
transformation journey to continuously evaluate themselves to
gauge the extent of the progress being made.
Measurement and feedback

Below are some of the strategies you may want to use to
measure progress. Have a questionnaire (a scorecard) every
three or six months for individual people on behaviour and
attitude, using a four-point scale, for example:
• How much (never, rarely, sometimes, a lot) are you
initiating conversation with staff of different race groups?
• How do you feel about black learners or colleagues
having a conversation near you in their own language?
• How do you feel (disempowered, uncomfortable,
comfortable, anxious or curious) being in a mostly white
or black group of people?
Focus groups:
• Discussions with parents or teachers about school and
social issues (but prioritising school issues).

• Individual interviews to ascertain change expressed and

change felt (for example, ‘I think I express different
attitudes or demonstrate different behaviours but do
others perceive a change in me, judging by what I do
and say?’).
Make sure the assessment strategies and tools will provide
both quantitative and qualitative feedback to allow for deeper
and more comprehensive analysis of the progress made.
For reflection
• Do you now understand the qualities of a change agent
on transformation and diversity?
• Because personal change can be daunting and
frightening at times, do you have sufficient tips on how to
cope with the change?
• Do you have a better understanding of the causes of
resistance to change, and can you help devise a way of
preventing and handling resistance, as an individual and
as a team?
• Can you name and explain some of the key concepts
that are relevant to personal change and development
for the change agent role?

5 Conclusion
This Guide has been produced as a framework of

guidelines and suggestions for beginning a transformation
process, with the understanding that there is no one
formula for transformation or for engaging with diversity.
Over time, the Guide will be developed further and
supplemented with additional material, and further editions
may be published as necessary.
While it is a ‘work in progress’, we believe that it is a useful

thinking tool for any school wanting to engage with issues
of transformation, diversity and social justice. It is meant to
be a foundation from which further thinking and activity is
generated in schools.
We believe that transformation should be approached as a

journey and an iterative process. We cannot expect to get
it all right at once, or after one round of activity. A
transformation journey is about finding solutions, seeking
out possibilities and co-creating a future. It is an ongoing
journey.
We don’t have a complete formula for our transformation

journeys, but nor will we be bound by static and rigid
plans. Transformation is a complex and dynamic process
that should be approached with flexibility and a tolerance
for uncertainty. There will be surprises – some not so good,
and some better than we imagined.
In our minds transformation is a journey that is

satisfying, meaningful and pregnant with possibility.
‘It is a journey in which we make a contribution to
building a better society for all who live in this
astounding and confounding country of ours.’
Rejane Williams, Lecturer in Diversity Studies,

University of Witwatersrand
5. Conclusion 89
Appendix: Sample of an
Employment Equity policy
CENTURY SCHOOL EMPLOYMENT EQUITY POLICY
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1. Preamble
2. Scope Of Employment Equity Policy
3. Definitions
4. Objectives Of Employment Equity Policy
5. Protection Against Unfair Discrimination Of Designated Groups
6. Protection Against Unfair Discrimination Of Non-Designated Groups
7. Affirmative Action Measures
8. Establishment Of An Employment Equity Committee
9. Barriers To The Implementation Of Employment Equity
10. Non-Compliance With This Employment Equity Policy
11. Reviews And Amendments To Employment Equity Policy
1. PREAMBLE
1.1 CENTURY SCHOOL acknowledges that, due to apartheid and other

historical discriminatory laws and practices, there are disparities in the
employment arena.
1.2 The disparities referred to in 1.1. above are reflected in the following
forms:
1.2.1 Persons from previously disadvantaged groups are under-
represented in the managerial and skilled occupational
categories and levels in the workplace.
1.2.2 There are vestiges of direct and indirect discrimination in the
employment policies and practices of employers that limit equal
opportunity and the advancement of persons from previously
disadvantaged groups in the workplace.

1.3 CENTURY SCHOOL, in terms of this policy, will comply with the relevant
statutory provisions of the Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998 that has
been promulgated by the Department of Labour to deal with employment
equity.
2. SCOPE OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY POLICY

2.1 CENTURY SCHOOL is a designated employer in terms of the
Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998.
2.2 Subject to 2.1 above CENTURY SCHOOL will comply with the obligations
of Chapter 2 of the Employment Equity Act, No 55 of 1998.
2.3 This policy confers and upholds all the obligations of the Employment
Equity Act, No 55 of 1998.
2.4 The non-compliance of any staff member with the provisions of this policy
will result in disciplinary action being taken against the said employee.
3. DEFINITIONS
3.1 ‘Affirmative Action’ in terms of this policy refers to the process whereby
preference is given to suitably qualified persons from previously
disadvantaged groups in the recruitment, selection and appointment
process.
3.2 ‘Designated Employer’ is defined in this policy with reference to Chapter
1, Section1 (a and b) of the Employment Equity Act 55 of 1998.
3.3 ‘Designated Groups’ refer to Black, Coloured and Indian, women
and disabled people.
3.4 ‘Employee’ is defined in this Employment Equity Policy with reference to
Section 200A ‘Presumption as to who is an employee’ in the Labour
Relations Act 66 of 1995 and Chapter 1 Section 1 of the Employment
Equity Act 55 of 1995.
3.5 ‘Manager’ is a person designated by the employer to control and direct
the operations of a business or a department or business unit within the
organisation and as such has the authority to make certain decisions on
the employer’s behalf.
3.6 ‘Discrimination’ in terms of this policy refers to the practice where one
employee, or group or category of employees is treated less favourably
than another or is not given the same opportunities as another.
3.7 ‘Previously disadvantaged groups’ refer to Black, Coloured and Indian,
women and disabled people.
3.8 ‘Selection’ in terms of this policy refers to process whereby applicants are
screened to determine their suitability for a position.
Appendix 91
3.9 ‘Suitably Qualified’ in terms of this policy refers to an applicant who must
have the ability to do the job based on one or a combination of the
following applicable attributes, namely: formal qualifications; prior
learning; relevant experience; capacity or potential to acquire, within a
reasonable time the ability to do the job.
3.10 ‘Recruitment’ in terms of this policy refers to the process of sourcing
applicants for a vacant position.
3.11 ‘Recruitment Agency’ in terms of this policy refers to an external body
that undertakes on behalf of a client (business) for an agreed fee or
commissions the recruitment and selection of applicants for a vacant
position.
4. OBJECTIVES OF EMPLOYMENT EQUITY POLICY
4.1 The objectives of this policy are to facilitate the promotion of employment
equity at CENTURY SCHOOL through the following activities:
4.1.1 The identification and elimination of any vestiges of unfair
discrimination from all CENTURY SCHOOL’s employment
policies and procedures.
4.1.2 The establishment of affirmative action measures that will ensure
that suitably qualified persons from previously disadvantaged
groups have equal employment opportunities in all the
occupational categories and levels in the workplace of
CENTURY SCHOOL.
5. PROTECTION AGAINST UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION OF

DESIGNATED GROUPS
5.1 CENTURY SCHOOL undertakes not to discriminate in its employment

policies and practices against any designated person employed by the
school on the basis of race, sex, gender, pregnancy, marital status,
family responsibility, ethnic or social origin, colour, sexual orientation,
age, disability, religion, HIV status, conscience, belief, political opinion,
culture, language and birth and as such promotes the concept of
employment justice.
5.2 Furthermore CENTURY SCHOOL undertakes not to discriminate
against any applicant for employment on the grounds mentioned in
5.1 above.

6. PROTECTION AGAINST UNFAIR DISCRIMINATION OF

NON-DESIGNATED GROUPS
6.1 Whilst CENTURY SCHOOL upholds the principles of the Employment

Equity Act, no employment policies will contain provisions that create
absolute barriers to the prospective or continued employment and
advancement of people from designated groups.
6.2 Furthermore employment practices that create an absolute barrier to the
prospective or continued employment and advancement of people from
designated groups will be prohibited.
6.3 Whilst affirmative action criteria will be applied in all employment policies
and practices, the inherent requirements of the job shall always remain
our primary focus to maintain a high level of excellence in the service that
CENTURY SCHOOL offers to its learners.
7. AFFIRMATIVE ACTION MEASURES
7.1 Suitably qualified applicants from previously disadvantaged groups will

be targeted in the recruitment process, unless the occupational and or
job category or level where the position is being sought already
adequately represents people from previously disadvantaged groups.
7.2 Subject to 7.1 above an equal opportunity policy will apply, whereby all
applicants regardless of their race, sex and or disability status, are given
equal access and opportunity to apply for a position.
7.3 Opportunities will be provided for some black staff member(s) with
potential to be developed and advanced (promoted) through the transfer
of meaningful skills and competencies that will promote their self-
development and increase their prospects for career advancement within
the CENTURY SCHOOL working environment.
7.4 CENTURY SCHOOL will specifically invite applicants from previously
disadvantaged groups to apply for the position unless the occupational
and or job category or level where the position is being sought already
adequately represents people from previously disadvantaged groups.
7.5 Job advertisements must be placed in media that is accessible to people
from previously disadvantaged groups to allow them equal opportunity to
apply for a position and on the ISASA website.
7.6 The school does not consider it unfair discrimination to prefer or exclude
any person in the staff selection process based on the inherent
requirements of a job.
Appendix 93
7.7 Suitably qualified applicants from previously disadvantaged groups will

be given preference in the selection and appointment process, unless
the occupational and/or job category or level where the position is being
sought already adequately represents people from previously
disadvantaged groups.
7.8 Subject to 7.6 above, an equal opportunity policy, whereby all
applicants are considered, regardless of their race, sex and or disability
status, will be applied in the selection and appointment process.
8. ESTABLISHMENT OF AN EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

COMMITTEE
8.1 In terms of this policy CENTURY SCHOOL hereby establishes the

Employment Equity Committee (hereinafter referred to as the
‘Committee’) to perform the role of a staff consultation mechanism as
required of a designated employer, prescribed in the Employment
Equity Act.
8.2 It is the role of the Employment Equity Committee of CENTURY
SCHOOL to monitor the application of this Employment Equity Policy
and to monitor the implementation of the Employment Equity Plan for the
school.
9. BARRIERS TO THE IMPLEMENTATION OF

EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
9.1 Even though South Africa is more than twenty years into democracy, it is
acknowledged that there still remains a legacy of apartheid that partially
limits the effective implementation of affirmative action in the CENTURY
SCHOOL workplace.
9.2 The numerical targets established by CENTURY SCHOOL have taken
into account the fact that major disparities exist in the skills and
educational levels of people in South Africa, based on past
disadvantage experienced by designated groups in terms of education
and employment prospects. This means that in the near future
numerical goals can never absolutely reflect regional demographic
trends.

10. NON-COMPLIANCE WITH THIS EMPLOYMENT EQUITY

POLICY
Non-compliance with any provision prescribed in this Employment Equity

Policy will be subject to Disciplinary Action in accordance with the CENTURY
SCHOOL Disciplinary Code.
11. REVIEWS AND AMENDMENTS TO EMPLOYMENT

EQUITY POLICY
This Employment Equity Policy may be amended provided that the proposed
amendments are discussed and agreed to by a two-thirds quorum of the
Employment Equity Committee and the authorisation of the CENTURY
SCHOOL Management Committee / Governing Body.
CENTURY SCHOOL
TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR EMPLOYMENT EQUITY
COMMITTEE
1. PREAMBLE
The school and the representatives of its employees recognise the need
for a formal structure to deal with employment equity matters and hereby
establish a joint committee, which will be known as the Employment
Equity Committee.
These Terms of Reference are agreed guidelines for the Committee and
the purpose of this guiding document is to create a structure within which
the parties can give effect to the requirements of the Employment Equity
Act, Act 55 of 1998.
2. PURPOSE
The purpose of the Committee is to carry out the functions and objectives
set out in this document and to carry out such further functions as may be
agreed on by the parties from time to time. The Committee will serve as
the consultative forum for the purpose of consultation required in terms of
the Employment Equity Act and will carry out the duties prescribed in the
Act as joint duties between the school and its employees or their
representatives.
Appendix 95
3. OBJECTIVES OF THE COMMITTEE
The Committee will consult and advise on the following:

• The conduct of the analysis referred to in Section 19 of the
Employment Equity Act
• The preparation and implementation of the employment equity plan
referred to in Section 20 of the Employment Equity Act
• The report referred to in Section 21 of the Employment Equity Act
• The monitoring of the employment equity plan, quarterly
• The review of employment policies and practices to ensure that they
are free of discrimination
• The creation of a constructive work environment for all of the school’s
diverse workforce
• Achieving a balance between personal growth and development and
institutional growth, productivity and stability.
4. GROUND RULES
The parties accept the need for a set of ground rules to ensure that the
activities of the Committee are regulated in an open and transparent
manner and commit to adhere to the following:
4.1 SCOPE OF OPERATION
The Committee will function within the framework provided by the
Employment Equity Act. The Committee is not a bargaining forum. It is
however accepted that the Committee will scrutinise the working
conditions of all employees in order to ensure compliance with the
principles of non-discrimination and fairness and that actions for the
removal of such practices, if any are in existence, will form part of the
employment equity plan.
4.2 DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION
All relevant information required to consult effectively in terms of
paragraph 3 above, will be provided by the parties. Confidentiality will
however be maintained and the right to confidentiality of personal
information relating to individuals, will be maintained at all times. Where
the use of information about salaries, job grades, state of health or other
sensitive information cannot be avoided, such information will be
presented in a manner which will protect the identity of the individuals
involved.

4.3 WORKING GROUPS

The members of the Committee will work as a team and serve on various
working groups/task teams, which may be established from time to time
to deal with specific issues. Working groups/task teams will not have the
authority to make binding decisions and all recommendations and
decisions of working groups/task teams must be ratified by the
Committee before implementation. Decisions will be made on the basis of
consensus and constructive debate will be the accepted vehicle to reach
consensus.
4.4 TIME REQUIRED FOR THE ACTIVITIES OF THE COMMITTEE
All meetings and activities of the Committee will be scheduled and
performed with due regard for the operational requirements of the school.
Committee members will receive full pay at normal time rates for time
spent on the Committee’s activities or the activities of the working
groups/task teams of the Employment Equity Committee. Where a
meeting is held outside the member’s hours of work, arrangements will
be made and agreed upon with the employee.
5. COMPOSITION OF COMMITTEE
In order to ensure that all employees are represented, the Committee will
be constituted as follows:
CATEGORY NUMBER OF REPRESENTATIVES

Union representative (Union name) 1
(if any)
Designated employees AFRICAN 2
INDIAN 2
COLOURED 2
FEMALES 4
PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES 1
Non-Designated employees 1
Management representatives 1
Foreign nationals 2
All representatives must be employees of the organisation
Appendix 97
6. ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF REPRESENTATIVES
Representatives will adhere to the following:

• Represent their constituencies and not themselves
• Participate fully in the activities of the Committee
• Report back to their constituencies in terms of this constitution
• Focus on issues and not individuals
• Continually work towards consensus decision making
• Adhere to the ground rules
• Ensure that issues raised by their constituencies are placed on the
agenda for a meeting and not dealt with on an individual basis.
7. MEETINGS
7.1 Monthly meetings will be held in accordance with dates set at each
meeting.
7.2 Meetings of working groups/task teams will be held as agreed by the
Committee
7.3 Chairperson or his/her deputy will chair meetings of the Committee.
Meetings of working groups/task teams will be co-ordinated by a person
agreed on by the Committee.
7.4 A minimum of five working days written notice on any meeting will be
given to members of the Committee. The notice of any meeting shall
include an agenda for the meeting.
7.5 Any representative shall be entitled to place relevant issues on the
agenda for meetings and such items must be submitted to the Human
Resources Department (if there is one) and the Secretary of the
Committee at least seven working days prior to the date of the meeting.
7.6 The Secretary will provide secretarial services related to the functioning
of the Committee and its sub-committees.
7.7 Minutes of each meeting will be distributed to each Committee member
within ten working days from the last meeting.
7.8 There will be no minimum quorum required before a meeting may
commence. The Chairperson shall decide at each meeting in
consultation with those present, whether all parties are sufficiently
represented to ensure that decisions which may be taken at the meeting
will be fair to all employees and decide whether to proceed or postpone
or cancel the meeting.

7.9 If any party cannot attend, or elects not to attend any meeting of the
Committee, such party shall advise the Human Resources Department (if
any) and the Secretary accordingly (in writing), of the reasons, within
three working days prior to the meeting. Decisions taken in the absence
of a party referred to above will be guided by clause 4.3 of this
agreement.
8. HANDLING OF CONFLICT
It is acknowledged that conflict may arise within the parties of the

Committee and it is agreed that such conflict should be resolved speedily
and should not lead to a breakdown in communication or to delays in the
implementation of the overall employment equity strategy. In order to
achieve this, the following steps shall be taken in cases where deadlock
is reached between the parties on any matter relating to employment
equity:
8.1 A meeting will be arranged between the parties at a date between one
week and two weeks after the deadlock had occurred. The sole purpose
of this meeting is to deal with the conflict and no other matters will be
discussed. This meeting will be chaired by the Chairperson, unless
he/she is part of the conflict, in which case the Human Resources
Executive will chair the meeting.
8.2 Should the deadlock not be resolved at this meeting, a panel consisting
of the school’s Employment Equity Manager and a Trade Union official of
the choice of the employee party to the conflict, will be appointed with the
sole purpose of mediating a resolution of the conflict.
8.3 The mediating panel will call at least one meeting of the parties within
two weeks from the date of appointment to attempt to resolve the conflict.
The panel will however not be limited to one meeting only and may have
further meetings with the parties as and when deemed necessary in
order to resolve the conflict as speedily as possible.
8.4 Should the mediation fail, either of the aggrieved parties may declare a
dispute and proceed through the channels and structures provided in
current labour legislation in an attempt to resolve the dispute.
8.5 The parties agree that there will be no form of industrial action during the
process outlined in point 8.1 to 8.4 above.
Appendix 99
9. DISCLOSURE OF INFORMATION TO OUTSIDE ENTITIES
Members of the Committee shall not disclose any information obtained in

the course of performing their functions as members of the Committee to
any outside person or body unless authorised by the Committee to make
such disclosure. The Committee may not authorise disclosure which is
prohibited in terms of any other company rules relating to the disclosure
of information.
10. FURTHER WORKING RULES
Further working rules may be agreed from time to time and such rules will
be appended to this set of rules and will be binding on the parties once
agreed and signed by the parties.
Thus done and signed by the parties on ………………at …………………………
For and on behalf of the parties:

REFERENCES
• Appiah, K.A. (2007). Cosmopolitanism: Ethics in a World
of Strangers (Issues of Our Time). New York: W.W.
Norton & Co.
• Barett, R. (2013). Building a Values-driven Organisation.

New York: Routledge.
• Bongwe, S. (2010). 100 Lessons in Diversity: Learning

About Yourself and Others. Johannesburg: The Diversity
Institute.
• De la Rey, C. and Duncan, N. (2003). Racism: A Social

Psychological Perspective. Cape Town: UCT Press.
• Florida, R. (2002). The Rise of the Creative Class. New

York: Basic Books.
• Kast, F. E., and Rosenzweig, J. E. (1972). ‘General

systems theory: Applications for organizations and
management.’ Academy of Management Journal. 15(4):
451
• Murji, K and Solomos, J (Eds) (2006). Racialization:

Studies in Theory and Practice. Oxford: Oxford
University.
• Pheterson, G. (1986). Alliances Between Women:

Overcoming Internalised Oppression and Internalised
Domination. Chicago: University of Chicago Press.
• Ramphele, M. (2008). Laying the Ghosts to Rest. Cape

Town: Tafelberg.
• Scott, W. R. 1981. Organizations: Rational, Natural, and

Open Systems. Englewood Cliffs, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
References 101
• Sen, Amartya (2007). Identity and Violence – The Illusion

of Destiny (Issues of Our Time). New York: W.W. Norton
& Co.
• Soudien, C. (2004). ‘Consulting class’: An analysis of the

process of ‘integration’ in South African schools. In
Chisolm, L. (ed.). Changing Class. London: Zed Books.
• Stinson, J. (2012) A Practical Guide to Human Resources

Management. Indiana: iUniverse
• Storey, D. (2013). What is a Diverse Institution?

Johannesburg: Resolve.
Additional resources, readings and support materials are

available on the ISASA website (www.isasa.org).

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Transformation and Diversity Booklet_Layout 1 2018/06/08 11:42 Page a

Typesetting and layout: Resolution

First published in 2018

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a

Chapter 1 – Understanding transformation and diversity

Chapter 2 – Advocacy: Messages for the school

Chapter 3 – Institutional change (road map for schools) ... 39

Chapter 4 – Individual change and development .............. 65

Chapter 5 – Conclusion ...................................................... 89

Appendix – Sample of an Employment Equity policy:

References ....................................................................... 101

Kevin Fleischer, Aspen Institute

2 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

Social cohesion A degree of social integration and

4 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

In South African education, the modern journey of diversity

As the largest and most inclusive schools’ association, ISASA

6 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

This task, by necessity, is ongoing and must continue due to

In 2006 and 2007, ISASA formally addressed the question of

In keeping with a document that was conceived as a living

However, as Stanley Bongwe of the Diversity Institute, and the

iteration of the ISASA Toolkit. This updated publication,

As the present Executive Director of ISASA, I am grateful to my

My appreciation is also extended to David Lea, Amy Barr-

As Transformation and Diversity is an ongoing journey ISASA

8 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

Schools are at different readiness levels for change. However,

This Guide to Effective School Transformation and Diversity

This Guide therefore approaches and offers guidance for

followed in the process of transformation in respect of the

While this Guide is primarily directed at the independent

10 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

Focus of this chapter

• ISASA’s commitment to institutional transformation and

1.1 ISASA’s commitment

1.2 ISASA’s beliefs and values

1. Understanding transformation and diversity in context 11

• Lay the foundations for a democratic and open society in

1.3 ISASA’s initiatives

• Offering regular Transformation and Diversity workshops

12 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

1.4 Defining and demystifying key concepts

ISASA’s definition of human diversity

The concept of diversity encompasses acceptance and

1. Understanding transformation and diversity in context 13

understanding each other in a safe and positive environment, and

Figure 1 © Stanley Bongwe

Many independent schools may not be sufficiently transformed in

ISASA’s understanding of transformation

14 A Guide To Effective School Transformation and Diversity Management

observance of human rights and more equity. Targets of the

• Making reasonable progress in diversifying the

1. Understanding transformation and diversity in context 15

Organisational transformation is not an optional process but a