Abstract:
In many countries of the world, both established and developing, there is a growing acknowledgement that schools need effective school leaders (Walker & Dimmock, 2006). In instances where schools have failed, inadequate headship has often been identified as a major contributing factor. In the South African context, school districts as administrative centres are important role-players in promoting and rendering support to school principals in their area. The role of the district offices is particularly important since they are so close to the schools under their jurisdiction. Equipped with the knowledge and experience of working with schools across different areas and their supporting role in educational matters, the Frances Baard Education District can serve as a trusted role player in supporting and developing secondary school principals in the FBED. Through a mixed method research of interviews, questionnaires and focus group discussion, I evaluated the manner in which principals perceived the nature and extent of support and development given to secondary school principals in the Frances Baard Education District. The study revealed that the FBED does provide a wide variety of support and development programmes which are designed to help secondary school principals to comply with educational requirements. The study found that while the FBED rendered support and development, there existed a lack of co-operation between secondary school principals and the district office. Principals’ responses indicated that old-style support and development programmes used were not in touch with the realities of what it takes to be in charge of a school today. There is therefore, a need to improve the support and development programmes given to secondary school principals in the Frances Baard Education District. There is also a need for secondary school principals to augment the support and development programmes offered by the FBED with support available from external professional development courses which can encourage compliance and also increase their confidence. Secondary school principals in the Frances Baard Education District must realise that conservative ways and techniques of support and development to school principals will not enhance adequately their competence, energy, vision and skill to advance the educational standard of their schools and learners.
