Measuring the Performance of Private Secondary Schools in KwaZulu-Natal

This paper presents a holistic development model for South African schools that aims to ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, as defined by the United Nation’s Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education, by 2030. It addresses critical gaps in private secondary schools, including unclear performance objectives, inadequate monitoring, and limited data-driven decision-making. To meet these needs, the study proposes a new performance management model based on Kaplan and Norton’s balanced scorecard framework, combining four perspectives: Students, Academic excellence, Learning and growth, and Resources. Using a positivist approach, the model was validated by confirmatory factor analysis of 244 respondents across 12 private schools in Durban. The Comparative Fit Index, Normed Fit Index, and Tucker–Lewis Index confirmed its structural validity, while the Root Mean Square of Error Approximation indicated excellent absolute fit. Several intercorrelations emerged within the Learning and growth perspective, particularly regarding staff respect for students and their value to students. Implementation revealed an overall satisfactory performance rating of 3.85 on a 5-point scale. The Student perspective scored lowest (3.39), highlighting inadequate student preparation as a key issue, with learners’ pre-class reading of material scoring just 2.81. These findings underscore the model’s utility in identifying areas for improvement, particularly in student engagement, academic excellence, and organisational culture within the Learning and Growth dimension.