UMALUSI'S SITE VISITS TO INDEPENDENT SCHOOLS IN 2007

a laboratory nor a library, and only one school has no computer room, no library and no laboratory.This school appears regularly among the low scorers throughout the analysis.Examination of the table will also show that certain vocational subjects are provided for. Forexample, 22 schools have special home economics rooms. Boys attend certain of the schools withthis facility and one wonders whether they are permitted to choose this option. Fourteen schools(some of which are very expensive and some of which are schools for girls) have a woodworkroom. This is encouraging as often independent schools can become enclaves of conservativepractice. Many of the special facilities described next could also be said to be vocational, as in thehighly specialised show-jumping arena, dressage arena or training track and sauna in one school.Other special instruction rooms mentioned in the site booklets gave glimpses into varied andexciting learning opportunities available for some young learners, for example, a video laboratory,music room, therapy room, art room, reading room, technology room, media room, pottery room,specialised biology and physics laboratories, a geography laboratory, an indoor sports centre,even a sport science centre, a specialist art and drama centre, prayer rooms for boys and for girls,and an aftercare facility.PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF PREMISESThere are very few problems in Section B, where school premises and facilities were physicallyinspected by the evaluators. Several monitors commented on the quality or charm of the buildings,grounds and facilities of some of the schools.Evaluators found staff toilets unsatisfactory at only one school. Toilet facilities for learnerswere unsatisfactory at two schools, one of which also had substandard furniture and hostelaccommodation. The evaluator wrote, “I was deeply saddened by the living conditions of thegirls, some of whom had responded so co-operatively during the focus interview. There was suchpromise of potential amongst the learners that may not be tapped to the full.”Classroom windows and doors were found to be defi cient in one of the two schools mentionedabove. Two other schools had unsatisfactory evacuation procedures. Sports fi elds were describedas inadequate at three schools and nine schools did not have sports fi elds at all.ACCREDITATION, REPORTING AND VERIFICATION PROCESSESTable 15 reports on the management system and reporting of the few schools with a lower rating inthis fi eld. The small number of schools here indicates a highly satisfactory reaction from evaluatorsto the reporting process. (Scores of 4 or less indicate there are areas for improvement in the bestinstances, that the levels of implementation are inadequate in others and even unacceptablein some.) According to accounts in the site visit booklets, several of the schools have highlysophisticated management and information systems.Table 15: Schools with lower ratings for management system and reportingFees Wrote Endorsements RatingSchool A 48 000 4School B 3 000 20 2 4School C 7 080 1School D 0 3.3School E 20 853 43 12 4School F 10 360 104 14 4For all the other areas the scores are generally very high. There were categories however where,relatively speaking, scores refl ect areas that perhaps need monitoring. In each instance, the names22