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Faizel Patel – 02/03/2021
The South African Muslim Network (SAMNET) says candidates for school governing bodies (SGB) must understand the diversity of South Africa.
Schools across the country have started with the process of electing school governing bodies.
The elections are legislated to be held every three years at tens of thousands of public schools.
Samnet has now called on the Muslim community to actively participate in SGB elections, which started on Monday, and ends on 30 April.
Speaking to Radio Islam, Samnet’s Dr Faizel Suliman says candidates must have an open mind when elected to the SGB.
“You cannot go there as a narrow-minded person to say I am here to force someone or my plan is to have Shariah aspects, I think you shoot yourself in the back. As we say, even in Islam in the fiqh, the alcohol wasn’t forbidden in the day. It took a process for alcohol to be forbidden and the same thing here.”
Suliman says parents do not really require a degree to be elected to the SGB.
“You just need to have a sense of common sense, dedication, being able to work with other people. Probably one of the skills most needed in a school governing body is building skills, someone like an architect or a builder. Maintenance is such a common issue in schools. One of the most important people on a governing body is someone who knows about building.”
Suliman says when candidates are elected, they should take to share ideas to “open doors where specific Muslim issues are.”
Listen to the interview with Dr. Faizel Suliman
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