Professional development for contemporary roles of high school principals by an education management and development centre in the Western Cape
This study seeks to present a case study of professional development for contemporary roles of high school principals of an EMDC in the Western Cape. The advent of a democratic government in South Africa in 1994 inevitably resulted in initiatives for transformation in education. School principals are under enormous pressure to transform their schools from the traditionally rigid, bureaucratically administered schools to institutions that have democratic, decentralised school administration. Against this background, this study attempts to determine the contemporary leadership roles of principals in their various contexts and explore their 'real' needs for effective school leadership development, also to make recommendations for empowering school leaders in an EMDC region. Local and international literature on school leadership and management was reviewed. An investigation was done of the perceptions of six high school principals, their contemporary roles and identification of common challenges facing them to lead effectively. The researcher also explored an Educational Management and Development Centre's (EMDC) Institutional Management and Governance (IMG) component's perceptions of challenges associated with the school leadership of principals within educational and training institutions within their region, and ascertained the relationship between EMDCs' training and the needs of the principals. The findings reveal that despite slight differences, there was general agreement on issues of the role, development and support of the school principal between the principals and the circuit mangers of the EMDC. The case study has identified the need for the contemporary role of the principal to be more extensive in the context of current reforms. The principal interviewed all aspired to leading their schools in the direction of the new reforms, however challenging. The study has also established that there are good professional relationships between the principals and their circuit managers. There is mutual acceptance that many of the challenges that principals face are not dealt with by the EMDC. However, as the circuit managers endeavour to move towards a developmental approach rather than merely administrative support for principals, there is evidence to support the notion that they are making significant progress. Finally, a number of key recommendations are made for efficient and effective preparation, development and support for school leadership.
Western Cape, High School Principal, Contemporary roles, School leadership, School management
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