It is widely acknowledged that an effective school owes much of its success to the caliber
of its internal management, particularly the principal, and it therefore follows that the
selection of the principal is a critical task. Not only does literature suggest that selection
processes for principals generally tend to reflect an inefficient 'selection technology', but
also draws attention particularly to the limitations of such processes in respect of their
ability to provide insight into how candidates are likely to perform in contexts very
different to their work experiences.
South African education has undergone many changes since the 1994 democratic elections.
The trend is a move towards self-management at the school level. These, changing
demands, which the principals have been subjected to, require a new style of management.
This study involves an assessment of the current selection process for the selection of
principals in KwaZulu-Natal and draws attention to the weaknesses identified together
with suggestions for improvements.
The current selection process has been found to be lacking in what is termed 'good
practice' in the light of international research and literature, which is based on principles of
human resource management. It has been found that, selection committees have to follow
prescribed guidelines set by the Education Department, which leaves them with very little flexibility. Since the process of selection is fairly new in KwaZulu-Natal, selection
committees have not been adequately trained to conduct the process of selection,
particularly in selecting the right person for the post of principal. The current curriculum
vitae for principal posts lacked in certain topic areas, which would reveal more detailed
information to enable further comparison when describing ones abilities. At no stage were
referees contacted to validate information of the applicants C.V. although reference was
required. It has been found that too much weight is attached to the interview as part of the
selection process, and no other means of assessing candidates are used, therefore placing
applicants who cannot 'market themselves' in a disadvantaged situation. / Thesis (M.Ed.)-University of Natal, 2002.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:netd.ac.za/oai:union.ndltd.org:ukzn/oai:http://researchspace.ukzn.ac.za:10413/2033 |
| Date | January 2002 |
| Creators | Small, Hilda. |
| Contributors | Thurlow, Michael. |
| Source Sets | South African National ETD Portal |
| Language | English |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
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