Abstract
M.Ed. (Educational Management)
The present crisis in Black education in South Africa centres largely around the problem of
educating and re-educating principals. Major deficiencies in the teaching of Mathematics and
Physical Science exacerbate the acute shortage of adequately qualified teachers. During the
past two decades there have been even greater uncertainties, fears and instabilities in the field
of professional development. The problem of upgrading Black principals also seems to have
received limited and sporadic attention. Central to this problem is the quality of the
professional development of educational leaders.
Hartshorne (1990:4) argues that" ...although it is crucial to highlight the fact that while there
has been a marked improvement in the professional qualifications of Black teachers, there
has been a disturbing and remarkable increase in the number of professionally under-qualified
teachers in Black schools". Comments such as these highlight the severity of the education
crisis, the need for skilled principals and the demand for effective professional development
to improve their management skills. They also outline the context and rationale of this
investigation. The three major resources in meeting the challenge of the provision of
education are teachers, classroom facilities and effective managers or educational leaders.
This investigation will suggest that innovative methods and strategies will have to be found
in both pre-service and in-service education and professional development to increase the
quality of principals available to the present system of schooling, without resorting to "quickfix"
and 'cheap solutions. The first step could be the removal of the past educational
inequalities: size of classes, teacher qualifications, funding disparities, educational facilities
and equipment (Hartshorne, 1990:85). The recipe knowledge approach to professional
development in the initial training programmes is becoming increasingly difficult to justify
or sustain...