Thesis (MEd)--Stellenbosch University, 2014. / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In South Africa no formal training in school leadership or school management is currently required to procure a position as school principal. The sole condition is that a candidate should possess a professional teaching qualification, with some years’ experience in the teaching profession. School principals cannot be blamed if they comply with no more than these basic requirements, as no formal qualification for school principals had existed prior to 2007. The Department of Education answered to the need for formal training to equip principals for meeting their responsibilities by introducing the Advanced Certificate in Education: School Leadership and Management (ACE). This study explores to what extent school principals experienced an improvement in their managerial skills after obtaining the ACE qualification.
To offer a better understanding of the background of South African school principals, the history of the available training over the past forty years is outlined. This is supplemented by an overview of various countries’ approach to preparing principals for 21st century schools. The responsibilities of present day principals differ dramatically from those of twenty years ago, as policy documents such as the South African Schools Act has since 1996 required that the principal, together with the school governing body, take responsibility for the management of the school. Accordingly, this study includes an enquiry into the ACE qualification with regard to the curriculum content, the purpose of the course and how assessment takes place at higher education institutions where this course is offered. Interviews were conducted with two principals who had obtained the ACE qualification to gain insight into their experiences relating to the qualification. By means of comparison, two principals who had not completed the qualification were also interviewed to establish to what extent this qualification does in fact equip principals for their daily responsibilities. The possible effects of the qualification were highlighted by comparing the two pairs of principals who function in similar communities with corresponding problems. By presenting this research as a case study, it was possible to obtain in-depth information and varied opinions about principal training, where principals had acquired the most useful skills and what could be added to enhance the value of the ACE qualification. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In Suid-Afrika is daar tans geen verpligting om oor formele opleiding in skoolleierskap of skoolbestuur te beskik om as skoolhoof aangestel te word nie. Daar word slegs verwag dat ’n kandidaat oor ’n professionele onderwyskwalifikasie en ’n aantal jare se ondervinding in die onderwys moet beskik. Skoolhoofde kan ook nie kwalik geneem word indien hulle slegs aan hierdie basiese vereistes voldoen nie, aangesien daar tot 2007 geen formele kwalifikasie vir skoolhoofde bestaan het nie. Die leemte aan formele opleiding vir die verantwoordelikhede van ’n hoof is erken deur die Departement van Onderwys wat die Gevorderde Onderwyssertifikaat-kwalifikasie: Skool Leierskap en Bestuur (GOS) ingestel het. Met hierdie studie word ondersoek ingestel tot welke die mate skoolhoofde ervaar dat hierdie GOS-kwalifikasie ’n verskil maak aan hul bestuursvermoëns.
Om die agtergrond van Suid-Afrikaanse skoolhoofde beter te verstaan, word die geskiedenis van skoolhoofde se opleiding oor die afgelope veertig jaar uiteengesit. Daar word ook ’n oorsig gegee van verskillende lande se benadering tot die voorbereiding wat benodig word vir hoofskap van ’n skool in die 21ste eeu. Die verpligtinge van die hedendaagse hoof verskil drasties van dié van twintig jaar gelede, waar beleidsdokumente soos die Suid-Afrikaanse Skolewet sedert 1996 vereis dat die hoof, tesame met die beheerliggaam, verantwoordelikheid moet neem vir die bestuur van die skool. Om hierdie rede word die GOS-kwalifikasie ondersoek om vas te stel wat die inhoud van die kurrikulum behels, wat die doel van die kwalifikasie is en op watter wyse assessering plaasvind by die hoëronderriginstellings waar dit aangebied word. Onderhoude is gevoer met twee hoofde wat die GOS-kwalifikasie voltooi het aangaande hul ervaring van die kwalifikasie. Om vas te stel tot welke mate die kwalifikasie hulle beter toerus vir hul daaglikse verantwoordelikhede word die ervaring van twee ander hoofde, wat nie die kwalifikasie voltooi het nie, ter vergelyking gebruik. Die verskil wat die GOS-opleiding moontlik mag maak, word uitgelig deur die vergelyking van die twee pare hoofde in soortgelyke gemeenskappe met ooreenstemmende probleme. Deur hierdie navorsing as ’n gevallestudie aan te bied, word indiepte-inligting verskaf oor hul opinies aangaande hoofde-opleiding, waar hulle die mees bruikbare vaardighede opgedoen het en wat na hulle mening bygevoeg kan word vir die verwerwing van die GOS-kwalifikasie.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:sun/oai:scholar.sun.ac.za:10019.1/95905 |
| Date | 12 1900 |
| Creators | Sonnekus, Wessel Christoffel |
| Contributors | Davids, Nuraan, Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Education. Dept. of Education Policy Studies. |
| Publisher | Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | Afrikaans |
| Detected Language | Unknown |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 124 p. |
| Rights | Stellenbosch University |
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