Abstract
M.Ed. (Education Management)
In the South African teaching profession, a trend is qradually developinq in which a greater emphasis is beinq placed on the recoqnition of the professional authority of every qualified teacher. This trend, however, stands in sharp contrast to the traditional notion and practice of hierarchical authority. As a result of this contrast, conflict between
these two opposites is unavoidable. In this short dissertation it has been determined that hierarchical authority can in fact be regarded as contrary to the nature and principles of a profession. This conclusion emanates from the fact that hierarchical
authority is not qenerally recognised or accepted as one of the ordinary characteristics of a profession. The most common and acceptable type of authority prevalent in professions, is the professional authority attributed to every qualified and capable professional person because of his or her extensive knowledge and training in a particular field. Since teachinq can indeed be classified as a profession, it would therefore appear that hierarchical authority in the South African teaching profession,
is actually a contradiction. Notwithstanding this assertion, it does appear that hierarchical authority is the traditional and established form of authority within the South
Atrican educational system. On all three levels of educational management (macro-, meso- and micro-) in the Departments of Education and Culture in the House of Assembly and the House of Representatives, as well as the Department of Education and Training, hierarchical structures of authority are embedded. The central principle of hierarchical authority is the tact that all decisions, rules, regulations and procedures decided upon in the upper levels of the hierarchy, can be enforced on every level lower down in the hierarchy without any consultation of those at the lower level(s) of the hierarchy. lt would, however, also appear that a qreater plea for the recognition of
the teacher's professional authority, is steadily gaining qround in all three above mentioned education departments. Some of the main contributing factors to this development are a qeneral improvement in teacher qualifications, increased specialisation and a number of teacher grievances.