Civil society and policy-making on education: the Gauteng Education and Training Council

The Gauteng Education and Training Council (GETC) is the first statutory council instituted in South Africa’s new democratic dispensation which allows civil society to participate in policy-making on education. This article looks at the policy process and the role played by civil society in the development of education policy and legislation. It discusses the institution of the GETC and the role accorded to it in policymaking, as well as the factors which could prevent it from playing a significant role. These include the representivity of stakeholders; the participation of representatives in policy debates; the lack of consensus on the role of the Council; the relationship of the Council with government structures, and the role and place of the Council in the policy route of the Gauteng Department of Education. The article also includes recommendations on improving the role played by civil society in policy-making at the provincial level.