MARKETING CULTURE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS - IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL MANAGEMENT BY ABDUL SAMED AHAMOOD A MINI - DISSERTATION MAGISTE [DUCA-I-BONUS

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1 MARKETING CULTURE IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS - IMPLICATIONS FOR SCHOOL MANAGEMENT BY ABDUL SAMED AHAMOOD A MINI - DISSERTATION Submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree MAGISTE [DUCA-I-BONUS IN EDUCATIONAL MANAGEMENT IN THE FACULTY OF EDUCATION AND NURSING AT THE RAND AFRIKAANS UNIVERSITY SUPERVISOR : PROF TC RISSCHOFF JANUARY 1998

2 DEDICATION AND ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I begin this dedication in the name of the Almighty God who has provided me with the health and ability to complete this dissertation. This research study is also dedicated to my late mother for being my guiding light and inspiration throughout my life. I would like to express my sincere gratitude to the following people for their contribution in making this dissertation possible: My supervisor professor T.C. Bisschoff for his untiring assistance, guidance encouragement and valued comments. My wife Rehana and my children Sharifa, Shiraaz, Ridwaan and Ra'eez for their consistent encouragement and moral support and for being patient and understanding. My brother lqbal for his valuable assistance. Venus Drude, Ganief Fish and my niece Ayesha for providing tremendous help with the typing. Friends and other family members who have assisted and encouraged me in various ways.

3 SINOPSIS SKOOLBEMARKING BY OPENBARE SKOLE - IMPLIKASIES VIR SKOOLBESTUUR Bemarking is 'n belangrike deel van enige organisasie. AIle skole kan ook baat deur die noukeurige ondersoek van die leerlinge en gemeenskap se belange en behoeftes en die daaropvolgende pogings om meer presies na hierdie behoeftes om te sien Die onderwys en die gepaardgaande opvoeding raak veral kwesbaar as hulle nie totaal vertroud is met die behoeftes van hul kliente nie. Skole is dus verplig om hul verhoudinge met hul kliente te heroorweeg. Dit kan 'n aanvang neem met die nodige herkenning dat diegene wat van skooldienste gebruik maak nie net as kliente beskou moet word nie maar dat hulle ook mense is met regte en wat sekere verwagtinge koester. Skoolbemarking is tot onlangs veral by staatskole 'n ietwat vreemde konsep. Dit is verder ook beskou as lets wat in die onderwys afgedwing word aangesien dit meer tuishoort by sakeondernemings. Inteendeel moet dit Hewer aanvaar word as 'n belangrike skoolbedrywigheid wat daartoe bydra om die standaard van opvoeding te verbeter. Waar skoolbemarking by die ander elemente van skoolbestuur gelntegreer word, dra dit by tot die verbetering hiervan. Hierdie studie beklemtoon o.a. dat noukeurige beplanning die kern vorm van effektiewe skoolbemarking. Daar word ook sekere voorstelle gemaak ten opsigte van huidige bemarkingstegnieke. Soos voorheen reeds aangedui het die meerderheid van skoolhoode tot onlangs onder die wanindruk verkeer dat bemarking heeltemal onvanpas op skoolvlak is. Die feit bly staan dat die meerderheid van die skole op die een of ander tyd skoolbemarking onderneem het alhoewel dit in die meeste gevalle instinkmatig en sonder formele beplanning plaasgevind het. III

4 Die wet op skoolbemarking verplig skole om die een of ander bemarking te onderneem om sodoende die bestaande hulpmiddels te vermeerder en verbeter en om te vergoed vir die vermindering in die Staat se toelae. 'n Bemarkingsperspektief kan ook grotendeels bydra om skole te Iaat besef dat tensy hulle probleme in terme van kwaliteit en dienste aanspreek, bly dit heelwat onwaarskynlik dat hulle hierdie addisionele hulpmiddels kan bekom. Die belangstelling in skoolbemarking en die opvoedkundige dienste het 'n hupstoot ontvang deur die onlangse skoolwet nr 48/1996. 'n Basiese mikpunt van die regering is om die doeltreffendheid van skole te bewerkstelling deur 'n toename in die mededinging tussen skole aan te moedig. Dit was een van die onderlinggende doelstellings van die Skoolwet wat poog om aan ouers 'n groter verskeidenheid van skole te bled deur die skole in meer mededingende posisie te stuur. Die eindresultaat van hierdie skoolbeleid was om skole met 'n nuwe verskeidendheid bemarkingskenmerke toe te rus. 'n Fundamentele beginsel is dat skole bestaan om dienste aan hul kliente te verskaf en te voldoen aan die behoeftes van leerlinge en ouers. Die mite wat voorheen bestaan het dat slegs opgeleide en professionele mense toegerus is om te voldoen aan hierdie behoeftes is die nekslag toegedien, deur die Wet op Onderwys. Hoofstuk Een van hiedie proefskrif was daarop gerig om die probleem aangaande skoolbemarking te omskryf. Die algemene en spesifieke doelstellings asook die gepaardgaande metodologie wat hierby toegepas is, is ook hier uiteengesit. Hoofstuk Twee behels 'n breedvoerige uiteensetting van sommige van die bestaande literaatuur oor die aard en wese van skoolbemarking. Die kiem is hier veral geplaas om aan die uiteenlopende sienswyses van verskillende deskundiges op die gebied van skoolbemarking uiting te gee. IV

5 Die ontwerp van die navorsingsprojek word in Hoofstuk Drie uiteengesit. In Hoofstuk Vier word die kiem hoofsaaklik geplaas op die analisering en interpretasie van die navorsingsprojek naamlik. die analisering van die gefokusde onderhoude met vier skoolhoofde. Hoofstuk Vyf is vervolgens gewy aan die opsommings, bevindings en aanbevelings van hierdie navorsingsprojek. Ter afsluiting moet beklemtoon word dat enige skoolbemarkings onderneming alle fasette van die skool behels en die algehele betrokkendheid en aktiewe deelname van alle personeellede insluit. Die skoolbemarkingsfunksie is 'n noodsaaklike element van skoolbestuur. Die groeiende formalisering van 'n skool se ontwikkelingsbeplanning vereis dat 'n skoolbemarkingsplan ontplooi word met inagneming van die volgende vereistes: die stigting en identifisering van bemarkingsdoeleindes met die nodige voorsiening vir 'n bemarkingstelsel; die sistematiese versameling van bemarkingsinligting en, die implementasie en gereelde, stelselmatige evaluering van bestaande metodes.

6 TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER ONE Context, Statement of Problem and Aim Introduction Some assumptions about management Schools as a starting point Statement of the problem Aims and objectives of the research Delimitation of the study Research design and methodology Definition of key terms Marketing Clients Stakeholders Service Products Research programme Conclusion 18 CHAPTER TWO Literature Survey Introduction School marketing : nature and dimensions Interpreting educational marketing Current literature promoting school marketing Literature critical of school marketing Conclusion 37 VI

7 CHAPTER THREE Outline Introduction The instrument of the research The research method Collection of data Respondents Biographical details The interview protocol Composition of the interview protocol Field notes The aim of the study Problems encountered prior to the interviews Validity and trustworthiness of the research instrument Literature study Analysis procedure Conclusion 48 CHAPTER FOUR Analysis of data Introduction Analysis of the data Defining school marketing Involvement in school marketing Reasons for school marketing Primary stakeholders Role of parents and governing council Maintaining positive image Policies for achieving school aims Life skills of learners Conclusion 60 VII

8 CHAPTER FIVE 5. Overview, limitations and recommendations of the study Introduction Overview Limitations of the study Recommendations Set up a marketing team Analyse the school's strengths and weaknesses Making decisions about the school's target groups Allocate responsibilities to marketing team Make provision for essential training Appointment of public relations officer Improving written communication between the school and its communities Improving communications with feeder schools Ways of improving communications with feeder schools Conclusion 68 BIBLIOGRAPHY 70 APPENDICES VIII

9 CHAPTER ONE 1. CONTEXT, STATEMENT OF PROBLEM AND AIM 1.1 INTRODUCTION The availability of equal and compulsory formal educational opportunities for all learners in South Africa as promulgated by the. new schools act, heralds a new era in the history of the country's education. The newly created Department of Education has shifted the direction and vision of the education through the medium of new policy initiatives and legislation. These national policy frameworks contain clear implications for new planning and effective management in the country's education system. Education in South Africa has previously been characterised by fragmentation, inequity in terms of provisioning and in many schools the demise of the culture of learning. Most South African schools currently face a daunting task - that of transforming every aspect of education in an attempt to promote growth and justice. Social institutions such as prisons and social welfare are also currently. subject to transformation. The emphasis is on change, the very nature of these services and the may they are conceptualised and delivered to South Africans. The education system is thus no exception. It has been established that far reaching organisational changes are necessary to address the imbalance of the past. The crisis presently being faced by many schools can largely be attributed to the lack of legitimacy to the education system as a whole. The Task Team appointed by the Minister of Education to prepare detailed workplans for the restructuring of education in South Africa has made a number of recommendations. It has been 1

10 emphasised that these recommendations and proposals are appropriate to the challenge facing the country. No immediate or short term solutions exists. The strive towards attaining the desired solutions are being hampered by the existing tensions between the need to offer immediate practical help and the goal of achieving a long term transformation Some assumptions about management Management in education cannot be considered to be an end in itself. While the application of sound management principles in education remains crucial, the ultimate goal of all management remains to achieve effective teaching. The central task of school management is to create the necessary support structures which will ensure that learners realise their potential whichever school they may be attending. In the past, school management has been confined to a selected and often privileged few. However, the present state of school management is indicative of the fact that management is an activity in which all members of educational organisations should be actively engaged Schools as a starting point The South African Schools Act makes provisions for both a school-based management approach and the development of a culture of marketing so that schools can manage themselves more effectively. Schools are said to be the very foundation upon which the transformation of South Africa is dependant. It is within schools that the culture of teaching and learning has to be re-introduced in order to effect the necessary changes. The Schools Act is thus an attempt to place schools firmly on the road to school-based systems of 2

11 education management so that eventually schools will manage themselves. This implies a profound change in both the existing culture and practice at schools. The extent to which schools are able to effect the necessary changes will be determined largely by the nature and quality of the schools' internal management. Central to the School Act and its accompanying legislative initiatives is a process of decentralising the important decision-making processes. This involves the allocation of resources to schools accompanied by a significant process of democratisation in the approaches involving school governance and management. These, in turn, are closely related to a trend towards institutional autonomy with which the Schools Act attempts to keep abreast of. This democratisation process is an approach already in existence in other western countries and is based on the understanding that decisions involving the schools and their stakeholders should become the responsibility of those who are best equipped to understand the needs of both learners and their respective communities. Studies in this regard have clearly demonstrated that self-management can result in improved school effectiveness. However, it remains an undeniable fact that the strive towards self-management for schools offers no guarantee that the desired changes will be forthcoming. The kind of transforming that is eventually achieved will depend largely upon the nature and quality of the internal and external devolution of power involving the principal, staff, learners and, the external stakeholders represented by the schools' governing body. The governing body will henceforth become an integral part of school management processes. The governing body will be

12 entrusted with the major task in assisting schools, providing the necessary support and mobilising especially financial support for the school. The devolution of power to school management structures and governing bodies will go hand in hand with the withdrawal' of a substantial amount of state funding of schools. It is particularly at local level that parents and governing bodies will be expected to make meaningful contributions. For the school principal thus, the involvement of the community and their say in educational affairs will be crucial. The school principal's role has thus been reviewed. For him the future involvement of the community and their say in educational affairs has serious implications. Firstly, it affects his management responsibility directly. Secondly, by instilling healthy attitudes between the school and the community, he encourages confidence in the school. The school principal should thus be so versatile and well-equipped for his management task that he should be able to act with both' authority and the necessary self-confidence as far as schoolcommunity relationships are concerned: The question is no longer whether school-community relationships should exist. but how the existing relationship can be extended and improved through an effective marketing strategy and the development of a school marketing culture. At the heart of South Africa's new education schools' act is the intent to both democratise the education system and devolve decision making to schools and their governing councils. The Act requires that members of the community, senior management teams, teachers and parents are trained for, both strategic planning and supplementing resources. Governing bodies will, among other things, be expected to

13 articulate the mission and vision for the school, and monitor its performance. They will also be expected to select staff, manage finance and physical resources and make every conceivable effort to bridge the gap between the community and the school. This will be especially important at schools where the culture of learning and teaching has to be restored and recreated. The South African Schools Act 84/1996 compels schools to. review prevailing management approaches. The Act makes provision for, inter alia, appropriate structures to provide support for the growth of school management and the induction of team development through the involvement of governing bodies in supplementing existing resources. Section 34 of this act indicates that the governing bodies will take all reasonable measures to supplement school resources. One of the approaches being promulgated by the Schools' Act is the development of a marketing culture. The schools are expected to sell themselves to the public. This Act suggests that this can be accomplished in three ways: by re-enforcing an existing and favourable public. opinion, by directing a laissez-faire opinion towards an active one and; by changing an unfavourable opinion into one that supports the objectives of sound educational structures. Education in South Africa is in need of a continuous and comprehensive program of interpretation to the public and to enlist its co-operation. An important review in this regard pertains to the marketing of the school. This was previously 5

14 non-existent at public schools' and would involve an almost total review of schools' relationships with the wider community. This review would invariably be accompanied by a different relationship with these various stakeholders in which the development of a marketing culture would feature prominently. Understandably, marketing would initially be greeted with a certain measure of skepticism as it involves the application of business principles and approaches. However, justification for its application would revolve around an important consideration viz., the need for improved accountability on the. part of the school management. "The learning organisation must be dynamically plugged into its environment if it is to have any chance of surviving" (Fullan 1993 : 40). It is undoubtedly true that schools are inextricably interwoven into the environment in which they are situated and that the future development and survival of schools is dependant on the adoption of a holistic view and development of a marketing culture. Schools, according to (Frain 1980 : 168), are establishments directed towards assisting parents in the guidance of learners towards the process of adulthood. Thus both the school and. its teachers have crucial roles to play in the attainment of this objective. While the approach in examining schools like any other industry in the marketplace may be considered to be irrelevant by some, it remains undeniable that the government has re-organised the parameters of both the system and control of school and elements of the marketplace have been introduced in schooling. 6

15 1.2 STATEMENT OF PROBLEM Before the promulgation of the South African Schools Act no 84 of 1996 public schools were not required to do any form of marketing. Exception were the ex-model C schools which constituted less than 20% of all public schools. Most of the public schools have no marketing culture. The South African Schools Act no 84 of 1996, section 36 requires that the governing body of a public school must make every conceivable effort to supplement the resources provided by the state in an attempt to improve the quality of its education. Marketing is an essential element of this undertaking. A marketing culture at a school is a prerequisite for the successful implementation of a marketing plan. Research into the marketing culture of a school and its implications on school management is thus relevant and opportune. Schooling in South Africa is shifting from a government supported initiative driven by professionals towards a market driven service. Management teams in schools are currently faced with a great deal of pressure to achieve a range of performance expectations to a climate of increasing uncertainty, financial stringency and competition. The school involves a chain of relationships between customers bnd suppliers-the school is in fact an organisation that manages a certain chain of customers (Kotler 198 : 83). Teachers are said to be the suppliers of services to both pupils and parents. It is undoubtedly true that presently the majority of public schools do not seek or process ideas from its environment. Rosenholtz ( ) observes, "Collaboration with the school environment is linked with the norms and opportunities for continuous improvement and career long learning. It is assumed that improvement in teaching 7

16 demands a collective rather than an individual enterprise and that marketing a school are conditions under which teaching improves." Ongoing relationships between external support groups and internal school teams thus have to be negotiated. The school as a learning organisation must pick and choose its way attempting to use marketing strategies as catalysts for action, thus turning constraints. into opportunities. The new approach outlined by the Task Team appointed by the Minister of Education emphasises the major shift towards democratic governance. A new generation of school managers will formulate new and more effective relationships with governing bodies and departmental officials. As highlighted by Section 34 of the Schools Act on of the most important tasks facing the school management is to develop a school marketing culture in order to supplement existing resources. Firstly, the problems presently facing South African public schools are too complex and difficult for schools to solve by any individual group. Secondly, in South African education a variety of stakeholders must negotiate a voice in what is happening. Put. directly, the very complex problems of education for a learning society have no chance whatsoever of being addressed in the absence of a marketing culture. The marketing of public schools is a relatively new concept in South Africa. Many people detest the wholesale importation of the language of business viz., customers and suppliers-into the practice of schooling. They claim that ideological presuppositions such language implies are inappropriate to a public service such as education, and may in fact be harmful. In my view this argument is not relevant in two respects. Firstly, the language of business does indeed carry assumptions about the relationship between customers and suppliers-assumptions that are indeed appropriate to the work of

17 the public service and for which customers are paying and are being asked to pay more over an extended period of time. Secondly, the use of such language challenges a view of public service and the nature of accountability in a way that is in keeping with the nature of the devolved governance and resourcing for schools. Schools are a key aspect of this service economy and needs to be seen as such. Relationships between customers and suppliers are mediated by processes. Whether a teacher is providing learning opportunities to students or a secretary is providing typing services, they are all engaged in managing processes. Furthermore, the people best suited to effect improvements are those nearest to the customer for that specific process. This, according to (Fullan 1993 : 83) carries radical implications for the control, management and design of schools as organisations. It implies turning the management pyramid upside down. At the heart of the organisation are its customers-parents and students. Without these components a school would cease to exist. The next most significant process managers, in the school are the rank and file of teachers. They are closest to the customers and their performances of this key process of teaching learning, facilitation and curriculum development are central to the task of schooling. This is a customer driven hierarchy within the school. After the parents and students, the most significant leaders and managers in the school are the teachers. They alone are responsible for the processes in the classroom that enable learning and are consequently considered to be the real leaders of performance. Discussions centred around the relationship between the present public school and their respective stakeholders have all too often

18 been muddled by two extremities. Some stakeholders seem to consider schools as vehicles for single-handedly addressing every social malaise from racial injustice to the drug epidemic presently plaguing many schools. Overwhelmed by the implications of such an assignment, educators respond by saying that they should be left alone to continue with their responsibility of educating. The first position is clearly unrealistic. No school is in a position to solve all existing social problems. However, the second argument is a luxury present education in South Africa cannot afford. While schools may not be able to eliminate all existing social problems, to succeed at all in their mammoth tasks, they must determine ways of minimising the negative impact of such problems. To succeed at all, schools must henceforth embark on extensive marketing ventures and forge stronger allies in their respective communities. It is thus evident that schools as learning organisations will have to review existing approaches and simultaneously initiate marketing strategies. Only an effective marketing culture will improve a school's potential of forging into a formidable partner. Undoubtedly, public schools face a daunting task as the development of a marketing culture involves individuals and groups with diverse viewpoints. However, it is these very differences in which the necessary ingredients for productive action are inherent. These can be negotiated into a new shared reality. Thus "the growth potential of any system is fulfilled by connecting with the different and dissimilar rather than building on similarities" (Kenway 1995 : 27). The movement towards a market model represents a policy shift of some magnitude, a shift worth researching and documenting with care, for in the view of many educationists it represents the end of an era in which the state seeks to ensure equal provisions. 10

19 Problems and questions with regard to the development of a school marketing culture presently abound in its infant stages. This is understandable. At the heart of South Africa's new education act is the focus on democratisation and the need to devolve decision making to governing bodies. This has direct implications for all public schools. If the act is to be implemented successfully, the principles of devolution of power and a marketing culture must be understood fully. It will not be sufficient simply to publish policy and promulgate the Schools Act. Active steps and firm commitments form the various stakeholders must be elicited to ensure that the ultimate objectives of this new initiative are realised. 1.3 AIMS AND OBJECTIVES OF THE RESEARCH In view of the stipulations of the South African Schools Act 84/1996 and the consequent need for schools to embark on a programme of marketing, the aims of this research study can be outlined as follows : To determine: What school marketing is The perceptions of school principals on school marketing culture and its implications on management, and how a school principal can create and maintain a marketing culture through effective management. 11

20 1.4 DELIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY The purpose of this study is to determine what school marketing entails and furthermore to gauge the perceptions of public school principals on marketing and its implications on school management. Information pertaining to school marketing will be collected, inter alia, through the study of the relevant literature and through interviews with the principals of four schools. Through an analysis of the data collected from the literature study and interviews with the principals, guidelines will be provided on how principals of public schools can both create and maintain a marketing culture through effective management. The research does not propose to undertake any type of comparative international study of marketing in education. While the latter is worth pursuing, for the purpose of this research it is sufficient. to note that de-zoning (open enrolment), cost cutting, deregulation and devolution of an increasing number of management functions of schools are the most immediate impulses behind the marketisation of public schooling in South Africa. 1.5 RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODOLOGY A literature survey will be undertaken to clarify the concept of school marketing culture Semi-structured interviews will be conducted with the principals of four schools to determine their views concerning school marketing culture and its effect on their positions as 12

21 school managers. These interviews will be audio-taped and transcribed verbatim Through an analysis of data collected from interviews with the respective principals and the literature survey, guidelines will be provided on how principals of schools can create and maintain a marketing culture through effective management. 1.6 DEFINITION OF KEY TERMS The primary focus of this research study is the development of a school marketing culture. In order to fully comprehend the extent and nature of a school marketing culture, the following components have been identified and will be defined in their specific contexts as they appear in the research study and as defined in "Marketing the Secondary School" by (Davies and Ellison 1991 : 93) Marketing Marketing has been defined as managing relationships' through effective communication. In commerce and industry it is often used to refer to managing the exchange between producers and consumers: In educational circles the word marketing refers to managing the relationship between schools and their clients. Schools primarily find themselves in situations which involve making dynamic decisions on financial matters. This is apart from the execution of a broad financial policy (Jordan 1969 : 118). Analogous with a view of educational management as a whole, there are a number of actions relating to financial matters which form part of the responsibility of the educational 13

22 manager. School marketing is thus an important facet of school management and controlled by school management in order that the schools educative goals can be accomplished. An important distinction between school marketing and the financial management of a business is that while the former has as its primary function the education of pupils, the latter is directed towards financial gain Clients An important issue in public school marketing is the identification of clients. At primary school level teachers readily identify pupils as their important focus. However, at secondary school level, the actual client is identified as being the parent as teachers remain accountable to them. This view can be considered further by assessing decisions relating to the choice of schools. Using this as a criteria, it can be argued that the parent is identified as being the client when the child is younger. This changes and as the child becomes older he/she is then identified as being the client. However, it remains a simplistic view to accept that the parent is the client with an increasing role being undertaken by the child when he/she grows older and enters the secondary school phase. Another way of expressing this is through reference to the client's expectations. These are becoming increasingly more sophisticated and demanding concerning the products and service forthcoming from the school. This is an almost simultaneous development as the government is moving towards an increasingly market-driven basis for schools. To meet clients' expectations, schools are henceforth required to meet quality assurance through contracts and marketing undertakings with their respective 14

23 clients. This represents a major shift. Only by being fully conversant with clients needs can their expectations be fully. met or possibly even exceeded Stakeholders The word is used to refer to "those who have a vested interest in education its processes and outcomes" (Murgatroyd, Morgan 1993 : 5). This includes parents, school governing councils, community leaders, pupils and teachers. The stakeholders of a school may be considered in a narrower sense as all those working together towards the attainment of a common goal. Broadly speaking, the stakeholders comprise individuals, groups and community relationships which are in turn interwoven in the school by cultural ties. "The school's entire stakeholders can be thought of as encompassing the total geographical area and population or as being comprised of the more immediate area and population within an individual schools boundaries" (Gorton, 1983 : 433). For the school management concerned about developing a healthy market culture at the school and attracting more clients, the involvement of,the various stakeholders remains crucial. Through ongoing encouragement and instilling healthy relations between the school and its respective stakeholders, the school's management communicates a clear and positive image which stakeholders would be proud to be associated with. 15

24 1.6.4 Service The underlying assumption adopted by the research is that schooling can be defined as processes set in motion by the supplier of services (school) for the benefit of the learner. A. priority in school marketing should be the need to provide service (teaching) of high quality. While the development of a school marketing culture may improve the relationship between the school and its clients, the initial success will be short-lived if a quality product is not forthcoming from the school. Thus the fundamental purpose of a school is to promote effective learning by all pupils concerned Product Katz and Kahn (1996 : 145) emphasise that all organisations fulfil a primary function in the community. The usefulness of this definition can be seen in the fact that the school's primary. function in a community is to provide learners with the product of education and furthermore that of: A maintenance organisation since the school is expected to maintain the existing social order, and renewal and research organisation, since the educators role is one of changing and improving society. It therefore becomes imperative that the school's primary effort should be directed to the abovementioned functions and concentrated at fulfilling the needs of the learners and then communicating this effectively to build the external and internal 16

25 markets (Lipham: 1991 : 90-91). Prior to the development of the marketing strategy, schools must clearly define what they are attempting to achieve. 1.7 RESEARCH PROGRAMME Chapter one provides a general framework and orientation to the question of school marketing culture and outlines the major aims of this research study. Chapter two will be devoted to literature survey on the marketing and development of a school marketing culture. It will also focus on investigating what other researchers are expounding with respect to the development of a school marketing culture. Here approaches in school marketing culture will be covered based on information gleaned from the various sources which have been consulted. Chapter three will provide a description of the empirical investigation. The instrument of research will be semi-structured interviews with the principals of four public schools to determine their' perceptions on school marketing and its effects on their positions as school managers. Chapter four analysis and interpretation of Empirical data. This chapter will focus on the analysis and interpretation of a selected sample of the empirical data. The qualitative presentation will be based on the perceptions of the principals with regard to schools marketing. Chapter five will be devoted to providing an overview of findings, conclusions arrived at and the provision of recommendations. 17

26 1.8 Conclusion Chapter one has provided an introduction to the research project, identified and provided a framework within which the development of school marketing culture will be investigated and researched. Chapter two will focus on school marketing in greater detail and outline a theoretical framework within which data collection, interpretation and subsequent recommendations can be formulated. 18

27 CHAPTER TWO LITERATURE SURVEY 2.1 INTRODUCTION Public schools often remain under the misapprehension that the schools (clients) are completely au fait with the objectives, the programs or even the achievements of schools. It is undoubtedly true that a wide gap still exists between the school and its clients and the need for this gap to be bridged has never been greater. The South African Schools Act no. 84/1996 requires that the governing bodies of public schools must make every conceivable effort to supplement the existing resources provided by the state in an attempt to improve the quality of their respective schools. Public schools will inevitably have to resort to some form of marketing. Changes made by the government to education in South African schools and access to it by parents and governing bodies means that schools must work to educate their stakeholders and create a sense of ownership. The need to market a school centres around the communication of quality and the development and recruitment of pupils, and supplementing the existing resources. South African educationalists and school clients have generally remained dubious of school marketing. They tend to resent the socalled intrus'on of the concepts of the commercial world of competition and marketing into education. The reasons for this can be attributed to the following: a) Marketing is a relatively new concept in South African schools and a marketing culture thus has to be developed;

28 school marketing is often viewed as an attempt by the state to abdicate its responsibilities of funding and resourcing public schools; teachers and other stakeholders have often expressed strong reservations about school marketing, the introduction of school marketing at public schools will perpetuate rather than address the past inequalities in terms of resources. For some this intrusion of marketing is considered "Infra dignitatem" (Spear, 1994:142) while school marketing is often frowned upon as education does not demean itself (Casteller, 1986 : 89). Others again strongly favour school marketing. They argue that professional ethics and the South African Schools Act demand that public schools should align themselves closely to the clients. Schools, it is argued, have in the past, considered the marketing motive to be totally incompatible with what is supposed to be a public service, dedicated to altruism. This suspicion can be traced back to the days when the market was regarded as the place set aside for people to deceive each other (Lipson, 1980 : 134). Some teachers at public schools go so far as to regard the analogies of industrial marketing as being both far-fetched and totally unhelpful in the context of the non-profit making South African public schools. The argument is that education should, be left to teachers who as trained professionals know best. It is the belief of this research study that the concepts previously believed to be specific only to commerce an industry, may be appropriately adapted within the public school context. Analogies of this may be drawn from the definitions of marketing as expounded by various authors. Marketing according to ( Spear 1994 : 142), is about managing relationships through effective communications. In commerce and industry, it is often considered to be about managing 20

29 the exchange between consumers and producers. In the education world marketing is about managing the relationships between schools and their clients. Ron Glatter (1989: 173) defines marketing as follows : "Broadly speaking, marketing can be defined as both personal and group action that affects social attitudes and behaviour towards a service or issue." Thus in a positive sense marketing may be defined as the art and science of persuading people in favour of the service being provided by an individual or group. It has often. been said that no public enterprise can succeed indefinitely unless a large part of the public supports it. Thus the introduction to education received its apotheosis in 1996 through the South African Schools Act 84/1996. The prevailing theme of this act is the pursuit and improvement of supplementing existing resources through the operation of school marketing within South African education. The Schools Act also establishes the conditions for greater competition among schools. The act further obliges competing schools to clearly outline their policies, the processes they adopt and their products in order that potential clients can make sounder judgements about the merits and demerits of competing for resources. The Schools Act 84/1996 was designed to meet the growing pressure from both government and parents for a more meaningful role by parents in public school life. Thus far, the vast majority of schools are in the process of responding positively to the pressure by opening to parents, first their gates, then their doors and more recently by removing barriers in which school curricular has been shrouded. This image of the socalled interfering parent has been substituted by the approach of every parent as a potential major stakeholder in the education of learners. However, undeniably there is still resistance to this crucial parental involvement. This is evidenced by the demand made by parents that they be given a statutory right to feature prominently on 21

30 school governing bodies. The South African Schools Act No. 84/1996 would have been both ineffective and unnecessary if the most important aspects of community involvement and school marketing among certain sectors of the community had not been taken cognisance of. The Schools Act No. 84/1996 has thus been responsible for the creation of two of the classical conditions in which school marketing can feature both prominently and effectively. Firstly, it has provided the basis for schools resources to be supplemented and secondly, the important clause that both existing clients and stakeholders - should be provided with the relevant information pertaining to the functioning of the school. One of the most important concepts of the new School Bill is that learners will realise their potential not merely through government and acted regulations, but through the combined efforts of the enlightened stakeholders exercising informed choices in new and varied marketing schools. 2.2 SCHOOL MARKETING : NATURE AND DIMENSIONS It remains true that the various stakeholders in current public schools have indicated an interest in education services. This is especially true of schools where both the Oultures of teaching and learning have been lost. Parental involvement has especially become crucial in efforts to re-establish these cultures. This includes not only educators and management but also parents, members of school governing bodies and all :hose non-teaching staff. Every stakeholder who is facing up to the turbulent changes being effected in education is concerned with improving formal public education. It remains important to emphasise at the outset that marketing encompasses much more than recruiting pupils and advertising the school. The definition that comes closest to the underlying objective 22

31 of this research is that marketing is considered to be a managementinitiated process with the purpose of anticipating, identifying and finally satisfying the needs of clients. It would, however, be erroneous to focus entirely on the use of marketing as a means of promoting competition among schools and supplementing existing resources. Marketing strategies can also be useful in establishing or improving the market standing of the education service generally. Generally the impression has been created in the minds of external stakeholders that many schools are inadequately equipped in terms of resources and understaffing while the culture of learning has been lost in many communities. It thus follows from this argument that schools do themselves and the numerous stakeholders they represent inestimable damage if they base their marketing strategies by capitalising on the demerits of other schools rather than on their own merits. This research is based on two important assumptions. The first is that the South African Schools Act 84/1996 compels schools to supplement existing resources by resorting to a marketing strategy. Secondly, that henceforth all public schools will benefit from the careful examination of the needs of its clients and that the service being rendered by schools will become increasingly more vulnerable if they do not heed and accede to the requirements of their clients. The research will also demonstrate in chapter four the need for public schools to reflect carefully upon their relationships with clients. The research will furthermore outline what approaches schools canadopt to determine whether they are sufficiently responsive to the needs of clients and means by which improvements to the existing standards can be implemented through the adoption of a more structural approach and carefully planned marketing strategies. 23

32 Public schools will henceforth have to look to marketing in an attempt to improve and increase existing resources owing to severe cutbacks in education. Warning signs indicate that unless questions of quality of services receive immediate and urgent attention, the necessary additional resources are unlikely to be forthcoming. Marketing has come to be seen as both a natural response to educational problems and government financial cutbacks to the devolution of school management to governing bodies. However, it remains to be seen whether school marketing will attain the desired success. In view of the complex nature of the marketing approach and the problems many schools face it appears to be obvious that the question of a marketing culture is something that schools will have to develop. No attempt is made in this research to propose the imposition of alien approaches akin to commerce and industry. People vehemently opposed to the view that the standard of education in public schools will improve as soon as they implement. business approaches can be reassured as these naive and simplistic views are not been propagated. Undoubtedly, the public services has much from which public schools can learn, but no easy recipes exist which be lifted verbatim and woven into the school situation. Two clearly expressed objectives have dominated the new government's education policy. The first has been to wrest control of schools from teachers, professional associations and local educational authorities to parents and communities. These shifts to a market approach in education have also occurred in countries like Australia, United Kingdom and the United States of America. The shift has also been accompanied by the development of a new industry concerned with educational management and marketing. As Kenway (1982 : 83) says: "Marketing itself is being marketed". The second important aspect has been to improve school efficiency by improving school resources. The far reaching implications of this 24

33 approach has been to inject a number of features of a market related strategy into education. The closer involvement of both parents and other stakeholders in public schools has inevitably been accompanied by tight constraints on government school funding. This has provided the necessary incentive to institutions to cultivate and develop approaches of persuading parents and other stakeholders to supplement this shortfall of resources. In general, public schools will henceforth have to assume new responsibilities and respond to market-related challenge approaches to education. Existing attitudes prevalent among both educators and certain stakeholders which consider marketing to be a foreign term intruding into the world of education will have to disappear. The recognition that public schools must employ marketing strategies to survive and supplement existing resources will attain gradual recognition. In other words, the awareness of marketing strategies as a future approach will become a permanent feature in public schools. What, however, is not absolutely clear is what is currently considered to be the most effective way in which educational or school marketing is to be approached. Chapter Five will spell out ways in which marketing can be fully integrated with other aspects of school management in an attempt to improve the quality of education Interpreting Educational Marketing In the following sub-sections, this research will explore the most acceptable ways of interpreting marketing in South African education. Initially, a number of ways of interpreting markets in education will be identified. Thereafter the current literature which promotes school marketing will be discussed followed by a discussion of the literature which remains critical of school marketing. 25

34 The concept of school marketing, as indicated earlier, is a relatively new concept in South African Education. The term "school marketing" has numerous meanings and applications. There exists a number of implied assumptions and definitions in its varied use. One well known one is that educators, educational departments and provincial departments have a clear concept of marketing in education. Given the relatively recent introduction of the term "market" in education circles and the lack of relevant research in this regard, it is understandable that the introduction of this concept in education will be greeted with a measure of scepticism.' Another common set of assumptions is that certain lines of thoughts of economics and business can be unquestioningly transposed into education and that these will provide predictable consequences. There exists no convincing evidence to demonstrate sufficiently that this will be the inevitable result. A number of research questions arise as far as marketing is concerned. Initially, questions such as the following will be forthcoming: How are educators to understand what marketing actually entails? What conceptual framework exists or will be provided to assist the various stakeholders in the development of a marketing culture? How is the emergence of market forms of education to be explained and what are its implications? These are some of the key issues which stakeholders are presently grappling with. However, in the view of this research, the above mentioned questions barely touch on the 26