Lack of support within the South African education system augments challenges principals experience

Abstract

Principals as crucial change agents are required to ensure that education changes are successfully implemented and that school improvement takes place. This paper focuses on the challenges that principals experience regarding aspects within the education system. The qualitative approach and phenomenological design were utilized, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposely selected participants (13 principals). As a national department, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in South Africa is strategically structured to service and support all the entities within the education system. The DBE places enormous pressure on principals to ensure that academic standards are met, quality teaching and learning takes place, and that continuous education changes are implemented successfully. The importance of the education districts and Circuit Managers within the DBE to give continuous and relevant support is accentuated. This paper emphasizes that the challenges mentioned by the participants are ironically associated with aspects within the education system – the system that is supposed to support principals. Recommendations are made to the DBE to implement relevant strategies and planning through education districts and Circuit Managers to improve the indispensable support to principals.

Keywords: {'name': 'Organizational change'}, {'name': 'principals'}, {'name': 'Supportive Leadership'}, {'name': 'Challenges'}

Authors & affiliations

CMvA Steyn
Affiliation not supplied

Molly Patricia Fuller
Affiliation not supplied

Deposited references

Supplied references, not a list of publications citing this article.

DOI: 10.1002/pad.1776

DOI: 10.1177/1741143220925090

DOI: 10.1080/15700763.2019.1585550

DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2016.1164900

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v38n3a1577

DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2017.1394496

DOI: 10.1136/eb-2018-102939

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v36n4a1322

DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198824053.003.0003

Deming, W. E. (1993). A system of profound knowledge. Butterworth-Heinemann.

DOI: 10.7551/mitpress/11458.001.0001

DOI: 10.7551/mitpress/11457.001.0001

Department of Basic Education. (2013). Policy on the organisation, roles and responsibilities of the education districts. Department of Basic Education. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.education.gov.za/Resources/Policies.aspx

Department of Basic Education. (2015). Basic education initiatives. Department of Basic Education. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.education.gov.za/Newsroom/BasicEducationSectorInsights/tabid/609/ctl/Details/mid/1909/ItemID/3132/Default.aspx

Department of Basic Education. (2016). Strategy to improve school management and governance in schools. Department of Basic Education. Retrieved January 17, 2022,

Department of Basic Education. (2018, 2 July 2018). Placing circuit managers at the centre of education transformation. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.education.gov.za/CircuitRoundtable2July18.aspx

Department of Basic Education. (2020). Quality management system (QMS) for school-based educators. Department of Basic Education. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.sapawesterncape.co.za/pluginAppObj/pluginAppObj_3_35/Feb-2020-Edited-QMS_SAPA_-Presentation_21Feb2020.pdf

DOI: 10.19108/KOERS.82.3.2337

eNCA. (2020). COVID-19 in SA: Calls for school closures mount [Press release]. Retrieved from https://www.enca.com/news/calls-school-closures-mount

Fengu, M. (2020, July). Schools face closure as teachers’ unions push for classrooms to be shut. City Press. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.news24.com/citypress/news/schools-face-closure-20200719-2

Fullan, M. (2006). Change theory: A force for school improvement. Paper delivered at the Centre for Strategic Education Australia.

Fullan, M. (2007). The new meaning of educational change. (4th ed.). Teachers College Press.

DOI: 10.1007/s10833-009-9108-z

Fullan, M. (2014). The Principal: Three Keys to Maximising Impact. San Francisco: Jossey Bass.

DOI: 10.1007/s10833-016-9289-1

DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(20)31412-4

Gauteng Department of Education. (2013). Creating a culture of support: A guide for district officials. Gauteng Department of Education.

Hargreaves, A., Lieberman, A., Fullan, M., & Hopkins, D. (2014). International handbook of educational change: Part two (Vol. 5). Springer.

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v36n4editorial

DOI: 10.1046/j.0022-4537.2003.00092.x

DOI: 10.3390/su11154109

Hussain, S., & Al Abri, S. (2015). Professional development needs of school principals in the context of educational reform. International Journal of Educational Administration and Policy Studies, 7(4), 90-97.

DOI: 10.1177/23328584221077303

Koko, K. (2020, July). Unions vow to shut down schools as Covid-19 continues to kill teachers. The Star. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.iol.co.za/the-star/news/unions-vow-to-shut-down-schools-as-covid-19-continues-to-kill-teachers-51240331

DOI: 10.1177/875687051203100205

DOI: 10.1177/1741143215575533

McDonald, Z. (2020). COVID-19 exposes the underbelly of South Africa’s education system [Academic rigour]. Retrieved from https://theconversation.com/covid-19-exposes-the-underbelly-of-south-africas-education-system-138563

McLennan, A., Muller, M., Orkin, M., & Robertson, H. (2018). District support for curriculum management change in schools. In P. Christie, & M. Monyokolo (eds.), Learning about sustainable change in education in South Africa (pp. 225-251). Saide.

Merriam, S. B., & Grenier, R. S. (2019). Qualitative research in practice: Examples for discussion and analysis. John Wiley & Sons.

Merriam-Webster. (2016). Merriam-Webster online dictionary. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v37n1a1334

DOI: 10.1080/14725843.2015.1009619

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v36n4a1341

Mthethwa, A. (2020, 15 July). Teacher unions strengthen calls for schools to close amid Covid-19 peak. Daily Maverick. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2020-07-15-teacher-unions-strengthen-calls-for-schools-to-close-amid-covid-19-peak/#gsc.tab=0

DOI: 10.1177/1741143220933905

Nieuwenhuis, J. (2020). Analysing qualitative research. In K. Maree (Ed.), First steps in research (pp. 118-153). Van Schaik.

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v35n2a1085

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v36n4a1336

Ncwane, S. H. (2019). Supporting teaching and learning in challenging contexts: A phenomenological study of the leadership role of circuit managers. (Doctoral thesis). University of Kwazulu-Natal. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za/handle/10413/18034

Ndlovu, S. M. (2018). The role of circuit managers in the professional development of school principals. (Master’s dissertation). University of Pretoria.

Ngozo, T., & Mtantato, S. (2018). Basic education is failing the economy. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://mg.co.za/article/2018-11-23-00-basic-education-is-failing-the-economy

DOI: 10.15700/saje.v38n1a1433

Padro, F. (2009). The applicability of Deming’s system of profound knowledge to universities. The Journal for Quality and Participation, 32(1), 10.

Republic of South Africa. (1996). South African Schools Act 84 of 1996. Republic of South Africa. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.elrc.org.za/sites/default/files/documents/sa%20schools%20act.pdf

DOI: 10.1177/17411432211061439

DOI: 10.1177/1741143220942527

Will, M. (2021, February). Teachers are stressed out, and it’s causing some to quit. Retrieved January 17, 2022, from https://www.edweek.org/teaching-learning/teachers-are-stressed-out-and-its-causing-some-to-quit/2021/02

DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2019.1623918