Strengthening School’s Management Capacity for Better Education Outcomes in Eswatini: Calling for a Paradigm Shift
Abstract:
This paper provides a critical
analysis of the various competencies necessary for the development and training
of effective principals in the light of the current school administrative and management
practice in Eswatini. In order to provide a cadre of effective school administrators,
it is important that administrators get equipped with a range of the essential administrative
and management skills. The Eswatini education school system allows for ascendency
into management and administrative positions without the requisite knowledge and
experience. Promoted officers invariably tend to get presented with the learning-on-the-job
kind of experiential management engagement. Yet the Principals and their Deputies
are disproportionately critical in the facilitation and implementation of the current
education reform processes. Furthermore, there seems to be rare if at all any occasions
where they are assisted to deal with the “culture shock” in their new roles as Managers
of schools —they are left to swim or sink on their own. This paper presents findings
drawn from observations, experiential practice and interaction with some principals
in the Manzini Region. It further suggests
pathways for addressing the critical administrative and management gaps in the
school education system. These include constructive utilization of pre-deployment
capacity building forums, on the job training, supportive supervision, monitoring
and evaluation for optimal educational outcomes.
References:
[1] Bush, T. and Oduro, G.K.T. (2006). New principals
in Africa: Preparation, induction and practice. Journal of Educational Administration, 4(4), pp.359–75.
[2] Collins J. (2001) Good to Great: Why Some Companies
Make the Leap...and Others Don't, Harper Collins Publishers, New York.
[3] DuFour R., Raising the Bar and Closing the Gap:
Whatever It Takes Paperback – November 20, 2009.
[4] Critical considerations in school management
for better education outcomes: https://www.google.com/search?q=++Plan+Do+Act+Check&tbm
[5] Farkas G., (2003) Racial Disparities and Discrimination
in Education: What Do We Know, How Do We Know It, And What Do We Need to Know? Teachers
College Record 105 no. 6:1119-1146.
[6] Ministry of Education and Training (2011) Education
Sector Policy, Mbabane, Eswatini.
[7] Naidoo, J. (2006) Educational Decentralization
and School Governance in South Africa: From Policy to Practice. Paris: IIEP.
[8] Ouma O. C., Influence of Preparation & Development
of Principals on Management of. Public Secondary Schools In Kisumu East District,
Kenya Taylor & Francis (2010) Motivating Students to learn.
[9] Whitaker P. (1993) Managing Change in Schools,
Operl University Press Buckingham.
[10] Stein, S.J. and Book, H. E. (2000). The EQ Edge:
Emotional intelligence and your success. Canada: Multi-Health Systems.
[11] William H. W. (1999) was editor of Fortune magazine
and Distinguished Professor at Hunter College of the City University of New York.
[12] Smith, P.A., Hoy, W.K., & Sweetland, S.R.
(2001), Organizational health of high schools and dimensions of faculty trust, Journal
of School Leadership, 11, 135-151.
[13] Walker, A. and Qian, H. (2006), Beginning principals:
balancing at the top of the greasy pole, Journal of Educational Administration,
44 (4): 297-309.
[14] Watson, L. (2003), Selecting and Developing
Heads of Schools: 23 European Perspectives, Sheffield, and European Forum on Educational
Administration.
