Perceptions of inclusion among parent members of school governing bodies in South Africa

Abstract School governing bodies (SGBs) are expected to be channels for democracy, equity and equality. The literature, however, suggests that SGBs in South Africa perpetuate apartheid‐era practices by excluding learners from schools. While a large volume of literature describes the important role parents play in implementing inclusion at schools, there is a dearth of literature regarding the role of parents as SGB members. This qualitative study ascertained the perceptions of parent members of SGBs towards inclusion and how these perceptions impact the parents' role in the implementation of inclusion within the context of South African mainstream primary schools. This was achieved using nine semi‐structured interviews and 40 surveys. Five core themes emerged from Braun and Clark's content analysis. The study revealed that parent members of SGBs do not fully understand the concept of inclusion, focusing instead on tangible elements to the exclusion of more abstract elements of inclusion. This narrow focus may impede parents' ability to promote inclusion within their role as SGB members.