Abstract
M.Ed. (Education Management)
This study was part of the SANPAD (South African Netherlands Partnership for Alternatives in Development) research project with the title for the project “Women leading in disadvantaged education contexts” (Perumal, 2015, p. 70). This study aligned itself with the overall aim and sought to answer the research question: ‘How do female leaders navigate the challenges of leading in poor schools in post-apartheid South Africa?’ It is important to note that education under apartheid was characterized by inequalities that had an impact not only on the teaching and learning of learners but also on the management and leadership of schools (Morrow, 1990, p.174). The legacy of this system was still apparent in post-apartheid South Africa, where governance was the responsibility of the School Governing Body (SGB), and where more females were being appointed in leadership positions at schools (RSA, 1996, pp. 9-10). The experiences of white Afrikaans-speaking female leaders in managing and leading these schools under difficult socio-economic circumstances, and the role that they played in alleviating the effect of poverty on the learners were explored.
Research was conducted at three schools in the Gauteng Province of South Africa. In the three cities, the men were the principals and the school management team (SMT) members were women. Semi-structured, individual interviews were used, to obtain data from the participants. During the data analysis, the following themes emerged: the socio-economic context of poverty, living conditions, food insecurity, school experiences, and female leadership strategies.
Education budgets were designed to meet equitable outcomes and overcome racial disparities (Chisholm, 2004, p.1), for schools and public services in difficult socio-economic contexts, performed less effectively and local children and families experienced poorer educational outcomes (Naidoo & Perumal, 2014, p.65). In order to ensure that learners in difficult socio-economic conditions performed effectively and experienced improved educational outcomes, the focus had to be on social justice.
Female leadership that recognized the unequal circumstances of marginalized groups could therefore direct its actions towards eliminating inequalities and marginalization (DeMatthews & Mawhinney, 2014, p. 846). Naidoo and Perumal (2014, p. 2) stated that...