Constitution Of The So-High Methodist Pre-Primary School

Definitions And Interpretations

  1. School shall mean The So-High Methodist Pre-Primary School.
  2. The Board Of Governors shall consist of following members whose services shall be honorary namely:
    1. The Bishop of the Natal Coastal District.
    2. The Superintendent of the circuit in which the school is situated.
    3. The Resident Minister of the Umhlali Methodist Church.
    4. A Methodist Church Steward.
    5. One member of the So-High Management Committee.
  3. The Council shall consist of the following members whose services shall be, to ensure the authority and the rules of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa are complied with and adhered to namely:
    1. The Resident Minister Umhlali Methodist Church.
    2. The Principal of the So-High Methodist Pre-Primary School.
    3. The Chairperson and Vice Chairperson of the Management Committee and two members of the Umhlali Methodist Church Council.
  4. The Management Committee. The school shall be controlled and administered by a Committee of ten persons comprising:
    1. Four appointed by the Church Council
    2. Four appointed by the parents of the school at the Annual General Meeting of the School, of which one of these members shall be appointed as the Chairperson of the Management Committee.
    3. The Principal
    4. The Resident Minister of Umhlali Methodist Church
    5. The members of the Committee, other than the Principal and the Minister shall retire each year, but shall be eligible for re-election for a maximum of three years.

Attendance

  1. Board Of Governors

    Annual - report back at circuit meetings by resident Minister.

  2. The Council

    Quarterly - report back by Chairperson of Management Committee
    or
    When approval for action or attention is required for matters beyond the jurisdiction of the Management Committee.

  3. Management Committee

    Bi-quarterly - report back from co-opted committees on special projects and general information on the running of the school i.e. attendance, finance etc.

Duties and Powers

  1. Board Of Governors

    To govern and control corporate policies as implemented by the Methodist Church of Southern Africa.

  2. The Council

    To formulate the Policy of the School?

    1. To recruit, select, appoint and dismiss the Principal of the school in conjunction with the Department of Education.
    2. To approve conditions of employment and enrolments of the staff to the school as recommended by the Committee.
    3. To delegate any of its Powers to the Committee and to issue mandates or instructions to the Committee.
    4. To report annually to the Board of Governors on finances and general policy matters.
    5. To invest funds for special approved projects with registered institutions as defined in Section 1 of the Financial Institutions Act of 1984.
    6. To ensure that at least 75% of the net income of the school must be expended in the furtherance of its objects within a period of twelve months from the end of the financial year during which it accrued, provided where the school wished to accumulate funds for a specific capital project, the permission of the Receiver of Revenue and Board of Governors shall be obtained.
    7. Restrictions: The Council shall not have the power to carry on business, including inter-alia ordinary trading operations in the commercial sense, speculative transactions and the letting or acquiring and disposal of any Methodist Church property.
    8. Any decisions by the Council may be over ruled by the Board of Governors.

  3. Management Committee

    1. To establish, equip, maintain and conduct a registered and recognised Pre-Primary School.
    2. To carry out any mandate or instruction issued to it by the Council.
    3. To support and assist the Principal where necessary in the running, control and administration of the school.
    4. On behalf of the Council, to confirm or reject the appointment or dismissal of any members of staff other than the Principal or appointed teacher.
    5. To consider and authorise the expenditure for the benefit of the school to a monthly limit of R3 000.00 (three thousand rand) without the approval of the Council. To foster and promote appeals for funds, donations bequests and assistance of all kinds for the benefit of the School.
    6. To refer to the Council for action or attention any matters beyond its jurisdiction.
    7. To prepare budgets of estimated income and expenditure for the school and to make recommendation to the Council regarding finances, policy, administration and control of the school.
    8. To report to the Council on the exercise of its functions and any other matters affecting the school.
    9. To co-opt and person to the committee, in a consultative capacity, for the dealing with any specific matter, until dealt with.
    10. To exercise administrative and financial control over fees in the school. The approval of financial statements and budgets.

  4. Changing Of The Constitution

    1. The constitution of the So-High Methodist Pre-Primary School may be changed only by the Board of Governors, with a two thirds majority in favour of such a decision. Any amendments to the Constitution are to be approved by the Director of Fund Raising. A copy of all future amendments made to the Constitution for Inland Revenue and to the Director of Fund Raising.
    2. The Constitution shall at all times by available at the School for inspection by parents. On entering a child in the School, the parents shall be deemed to have read this Constitution and to have accepted all the terms and conditions herein, such acceptance being signified by their signature on the enrolment form.

  5. Dissolution Clause

    The School my be dissolved by a Resolution passed by the authority on the Conference of the Methodist Church of Southern Africa, on recommendation of the Umhlali Methodist Church Council, to the Circuit quarterly meeting, the District Synod and the Department of Education. At such a decision not less then fourteen days notice is to be given to parents specifying the business to be considered. On dissolution of the school, the assets as ascertained in the inventory at time of merger revert to the original So-High School. The remaining assets will be transferred or donated to educational institutions, which are registered in terms of the Fund Raising Act, 1978 within Kwazulu Natal which are themselves exempt from Income Tax and Donations Tax.