Education Law Specialist

While Mike Wilter was studying law, he made a conscious decision that as far as possible he would use his legal education and training to improve opportunities for others. Specialising in education law was a natural extension of this decision. Wilter’s services are directed at improving the capacity of the South African schooling system to act lawfully in the best interests of learners, something that has a direct impact on improving the quality of education in the country.

He provides specialised legal support to schools to assist them in making decisions that are lawful and procedurally fair, including, for example, decisions relating to random drug tests and disciplinary proceedings that involve learners.

Wilter (30), who previously held a position as the head of the education ministry in the Western Cape government, developed and published a number of practical manuals for school governors and school management teams on a variety of relevant topics, including school admissions, school fee exemptions, school discipline and school bullying.

Some of these include An Introductory Guide to Building Bully-Free Schools, Templates for School Admissions and A Practical Guide to School Fee Exemptions.

He regularly facilitates workshops for teachers and school principals and has worked closely with a number of schools to review and revise their admission policies and processes in line with applicable laws, assisting them in identifying to what extent their admission-related decisions are unlawful and therefore at risk of being challenged.

He also features regularly on radio, unpacking relevant court decisions that affect schools. Wilter is passionate, driven and often offers his services pro bono to schools that can’t afford them.

“I am always inspired and energised by the progress that I see being made by schools that are honest about their challenges, but committed to finding the right solutions for them. It is this progress that makes the work I do so rewarding.”
— Fatima Asmal

Twitter: @mikewilter