Nov24Recently Paarl Boys’ High followed in the footsteps of Paul Roos and re-advertised their headmaster post.
We are living in changing times, so I asked about a few of the challenges faced when it came to finding a suitable candidate (not that these were necessarily what Boishaai or PRG encountered).
A former high school educator who’s career started in the early 1980’s said this:
Sadly, the “pot” of potential future headmasters is a relatively empty pot my friend. I have to say that my teaching career saw me in education at the best of times, but which slowly but surely are changing. Due to increasingly interfering old boys and parents, who would want to head up any school. Far easier being a well suited up fireman because headmasters seem to put out fire after fire.
Another top rated educator with outstanding knowledge of the education system added:
There is a growing shortage of people who want to take in the responsibility of this job. It is being made increasingly difficult.
We also know that the number of male teachers in the profession is decreasing every year. This is a contributing factor as well.
I asked: can a business CEO become a headmaster?
Answer:
The state sector has a regulatory specification that to be a principal you have to have taught for minimum seven years plus have relevant professional qualifications.
Let me ask you this. Do you think a school principal can go run a business specialising in say engineering or something similar? You need to understand what business you are driving and how it works at the coal front! i.e the classroom.
I guess the moral of the story is if your school has a good headmaster, look after him in the same way he is looking after your school.
I’ll get lambasted by Deon and co, but a factor is experienced and qualified people leaving the country. I have over 10 teacher friends here in the UK. Teachers are paid too poorly in SA. A good friend of mine left SA 5 years ago as he couldn’t survive on R25,000 a month, he could barely pay his rent. Schools are under massive financial pressure, the Gov subsidy barely pays for 20 teachers and they need 70 in the bigger schools. Plus pressure on sports performance, needing money for bursaries, declining areas etc…..no thank you, even on R1.5m a year….
THE CORE ELEMENTS OF BEING A PRINCIPAL
Leading teaching and learning in the school
Shaping the direction and development of the school
Managing quality and securing accountability
Staff development
Managing the school as an organisation
Working with and for the community
Managing human resources
Managing and advocating extra-mural activities.
It is clear that managing the school, is only one of the core responsibilities of a principal. In our leading and most prominent schools, principalship is about much more:
Running school budgets of up to R150m and more
Building a strong trade mark
Marketing of the school
Building networks and partnerships
Running school hostels
Managing parent expectations
Building relationships with the media
Networking with past learners who can still contribute towards the school / financially or any other way
Being culturally, emotionally and politically intelligent
Building strong ties with their Education Department
Shaping the holistic development of learners
Fostering strong ethical values
Strengthening the school climate and the school culture
Creating learner friendly schools
Etc.
Education is a specialised field of study. Educators are not trained to become principals. They must learn their trade through years and years of experience. They have to work their way upwards through the ranks. The must understand the basics of class management, of leading a subject team, of curriculum planning, of the basics of school administration, etc. They must understand the dynamics of a school, of exams, time tables, etc.
It is possible for a non-educator to run a school. It is not possible for a non-educator to be a principal in the true sense of the word. Non-educators can be operational managers of schools, but a school can have only one headmaster or principal, and that person should be an educator. Principalship is not a job. It is a unique opportunity to serve and to sacrifice much of yourself in order to empower learners to become what they are destained to be.