The parents establish their SGB Forum in the Retreat-Steenberg-Lavender Hill area.

Today the School Governing Bodies in the Retreat-Steenberg-Lavender Hill belt established their historic SGB Forum. The SGB forum was a seed that was planted about three years ago by Noel Isaacs, the principal of Floreat Primary School. At the time four of our school principals headed the School Governing Training and Development Programme that was offered to the SGBs in our circuit.


Then, this year, after our circuit had taken our newly-elected SGBs on an overnight training camp, one of the parent governors at Lourier Primary School, Basil Williams, approached Noel to set the ball in motion.  The rest as they say, is history. Today the parent governors with their school principals, agreed unanimously that an SGB Forum will be a powerful support structure for their schools.


Most of the representatives of the schools' SGBs showed up at the meeting that was held at Delta Primary School.

SGB members discussing the rationale for an SGB Forum.

The governors agreed on the following broad objectives of the SGB Forum:

• The SGB Forum should be a mouthpiece for the working class communities of this belt.
• The SGB Forum should be a partnership builder with all the NGOs, government departments, religious institutions and all organizations to help develop the schools and the communities.
• It should be driven by parents with the aim of making a difference at the schools and in the broader community.
• The SGB Forum should also aim to assist with the training and development of school governors so that they can become more effective SGBs.

Rachart Job giving a talk to the school governors 

 Our education district's Head of Institutional Management and Governance (IMG), Rachart Job, and our district Head of Safer Schools, Brian Jeftha, were there to support the establishment of the SGB Forum.

In his talk to the school governors, Rachart addressed the importance of understanding the role of SGBs, building healthy relationships and managing power responsibly.  The same principles would apply to SGB forums.


Rachart Job said, ""Legally, SGBs are part of the decision-making process at schools so that there is broad participation by the community. It's all about community building and nation building. An SGB forum will assist SGBs to tap into the community expertise to help develop their own SGBs, build relationships, become a bargaining unit and contribute to nation building."

School governors Sidney and Ralph having a conversation with  Lorna Engledoe  ( school head of Zerilda Park Primary School) and Brian Jeftha (Head of Safer Schools:MSED)

Brian addressed the power of the SGB forum can help promote  the Health, Safety and Security deliverables at school and promote parental and learner development in these areas.


"As an SGB forum,  school safety can be made an active part of the school's vision, making sure that
safety is always on the agenda and that regular safety activities are planned," said Brian.


The SGB forum will give school governors a collective voice which is needed in our impoverished communities. We wish the SGB Forum well.

Noel Isaacs facilitated the establishment of the SGB Forum