The Gauteng education department believes its employment equity targets favouring the appointment of more women as principals and more African and Indian men as deputy principals will be achieved if governing bodies cooperate.

This comes amid concerns by the National Association of School Governing Bodies (NASGB) that the quality of principal appointments will be compromised if governing bodies favour only women.

The department approved recruitment and selection guidelines on March 18 that are aimed at assisting governing bodies to select candidates for promotion...