Professional Development of Principals: A Recipe for Future Schools?

Abstract

More research results are explicating that in order to have better schools, there needs to be empowered school managers and leaders. Many dysfunctional schools are not performing because the people at the helm have no vision and are failing to uplift the morale within the school as an organisation. It is then no wonder that countries around the world are beginning to take principalship seriously by introducing programmes that would better the position of these school leaders; to harness them with skills that would also filter through the entire organisation. However, some candidates might not continue the best practices learnt from such programmes due to a number of reasons. The nature of the school, the team a principal works with and a number of other circumstances might determine the application of such programmes in the actual schools. This article uses literature to explore an aspect of school management that is known but usually ignored; professional development. The authors explore various arguments as to why all school principals in South Africa and the world need continuous professional development. Professional development of school leaders is a universally needed process in all schools; poor performing schools need it to improve their practice while effective performers need it to sustain and improve their good practices.