Abstract
M.Ed.
Key legislative acts and policy papers have been adopted to guide the transformation process
these include the National Policy Act 27 of 1996, the National Qualifications Framework, South
African Schools Act 84 of 1996, Curriculum 2005, and the Employment of Educators Act 1998
to name but few (Meyer and Motala 1998:1). Over and above these there is the Mpumalanga
School Education Act 8 of 1995, Norms and Standards for school funding and numerous
Educator Labour Relations Council resolutions that serve to guide the transformation process.
All these acts and policy papers are initiatives of the state to ensure school competency and
hopefully school effectiveness. Their dependence is substantially on strengthening capacity to
plan, manage and supervise schools. Meyer and Motala (1998:1) further indicate that for the
implementation of all acts and policy papers require a change in organisational culture and the
development of appropriate capacities. The most important source of the required capacity to
ensure school management and leadership is broadly in the hands of the principal.
These rapid changes in acts and policies in our school system are creating a leadership crisis
in the Mpumalanga schools. School principals as such commonly blame these rapid changes
for their paralysis. On the other hand the Mpumalanga Department of Education (MDE) is
randomly and sporadically conducting induction programmes, seminars, conferences and
workshops for principals to ensure that principals understands and at least develop the
capacity for effective school leadership. According to Bailey and Jenkins (1996:14) these
initiatives alone can hardly sustain the needs of the school principals.
Prof. T.C. Bisschoff