Abstract
M.Ed. (Education Management)
In this study aspects relevant to effective school management
are considered from a didactic-pedagogic perspective.
The future development of the community is to a large extent
determined by education. The requirements of and demands that
are made on education require that schools be regarded more and
more as undertakings. Aspects which determine and influence
the effectiveness of a school are thus important.
The quality of leadership of the school principal and his
managerial ability are determining factors indispensable for
effective school management. This quality and ability are
indispensable for the establishment and promotion of aspects
that determine school effectiveness.
The elements of management are not separate entities, but a
uniform whole. In an organization they form an inseparable
part of management and occur in a scientifically planned way.
It is important for a school principal to have knowledge of
the elements of management that influence school effectiveness.
Managerial adoption is a determining factor in the,development
of the style of management of the principal. The way
in which a school principal relates towards his staff can
determine the success he will experience as principal. The
quality of his leadership can be a determining factor in the
success he attains as manager.
Leadership is a component of management. As manager of a
school the school principal has a leadership duty. The
ability to lead is thus part of his complex task. The leadership situation and the style of leadership are,
among other things, important aspects which determine how
effectively a leader will react in a given situation. The
leadership of the school principal is also decisive for
the standard and the improvement of teaching in the school.
It plays a significant role in the effectiveness with which
the school performs its educational function. As leader,
the school principal plays an important role in the successful
execution, implementation and application of the aspects of
effective school management.
The training and preparation of teachers can never be regarded
as complete. The development of personnel according to fundamental
needs is an ideal. As professional leader the school
principal is also primarily responsible for personnel development
in the school.
School climate is the experience of an individual in the observation
of how the staff and pupils of a school communicate and
co-operate. Programmes for the improvement of school climate are
essential in view of the close correlation between school climate
and pupil achievement. The development of personnel, the renewal
of management functions and the establishment of a climate of interaction
between the school principal and the staff, are, among other
things, aspects of effective school management.
By utilizing purposeful personnel development, paying attention
to the improvement of school climate, and by examining the style
of leadership of the school principals, school effectiveness can
be enhanced.