Training of principals not sufficient

THE debate around the Matric pass rate of 2010 places undue pressure on principals to improve school performance under some difficult conditions

This is not new because every year without fail, the matric results become the focus of heated debate among educationists and politicians, resulting in finger pointing to school leadership.
The legacy of the past education system was characterised by division, unfairness in provisions, and the failure of a culture of learning and teaching.
There was resistance to change, creating serious managerial problems at schools that in turn led to deterioration in the standards of education.
An official said attempts by the government to transform the grossly inequitable and inadequate school system are characterised by failure to translate good policies into sound practice.


Policies such as the South African Schools Act and the Norms and Standards for School Funding attempt to transform education so as to level the playing field.
The task of being a principal is demanding, requiring energy, drive and many personal qualities and attributes.
Principals involved in the day-to-day management of their schools, need to take time to reflect on their personal growth as leaders and managers.
The expectations of principals have moved from demands of management and control to the demands for an educational leader who can foster staff development, parent involvement, community support and learner growth and to succeed with major changes and expectations.
The Advanced Certificate in Education was conceived as a form of continuing professional development, which has the purpose of equipping principals for the positions they occupy, or enabling teachers to move into an education leadership and management career path.
Although Institutes of Higher Learning are claiming the implementation of the ACE course as being successful, research undertaken by the University of Johannesburg reveal that there is tension between theory and practice.
This implies that many principals who have completed the ACE programme may not have successfully translated the theory that they learnt into practice.
On reflection, it would appear that training of principals alone is not sufficient to run successful schools.
They also require ongoing support from various stakeholders. It is for this reason the UJ in collaboration with the Harvard Graduate School of Education launched an ambitious three-year intervention programme in December 2010, aimed at improving the quality of teaching and learning by strengthening school leadership and district offices.
The heart of the initiative is the Education Leadership Institute with two interlinked components: the Principal Network and the Leadership Development Programme.
http://www.sowetanlive.co.za/news/2011/02/15/training-of-principals-not-sufficient