Abstract
The purpose of this study is to explore the management of corporate partnership development by township principals. To meet the needs for South African township schools, historically confronted with significant shortages of financial, physical and human resources, it is often necessary for school managers to be inventive and search for new opportunities. Thus, they strive to develop partnerships with corporate entities, in order to pave the way for effective teaching and learning in their schools. Therefore, it is essential for school principals to manage their relationships with corporate partners effectively. The aim of this research is to respond to the question: “How do principals manage corporate partnership development in township schools?” The research method applied is qualitative, which seeks to engage participants’ world-view in terms of realms of human understanding, such as the knowledge they possess, emotional states of mind, views and thoughts. The research approach is case study. Five principals and deputy principals (giving a total of 10 participants) were selected from two secondary and three primary schools in the same area in Kokosi Township. The selected schools are officially collaborating with corporate organizations (business entities) in achieving the purpose of teaching and learning. The overarching finding indicates that school principals did not manage corporate partnerships in the same manner, at least in part because of the absence of a formal guiding document on managing corporate partnership development from the Gauteng Department of Education. Included in the recommendations was an acknowledgement of the need to establish a comprehensive policy on how school principals can manage corporate partnership development.
M.A. (Education Leadership and Management)