Reflecting on principals as managers of moulded leaders in a managerialistic school system

No Abstract.South African Journal of Education Vol. 27(3) 2007: pp. 491-50

Principals’ perceptions of the motivation potential of performance agreements in underperforming schools

A formidable challenge most school leaders in South Africa face is to improve the academic results in state schools. In terms of their contracts, principals are accountable for the academic results as reflected in examination and test results for their schools. The National Department of Education (currently the Department of Basic Education) has made attempts to implement a performance agreement with principals and deputy principals, which would hold them directly and specifically accountable for the examination results. The article explores the proposed performance agreement and its potential influence on principals’ motivation to improve their own, and therefore also the teachers’ and learners’ academic performance. The focus group interviews conducted with principals and deputy principals indicate that principals do not want to be held accountable, because there are too many factors outside their control. They perceive a performance agreement of this kind as potentially demotivating because they do not feel they would be able to achieve the goals it sets.Keywords: accountability; motivation; performance agreements; performance management; power; school leadership;underperforming schoo

Parents as partners in black schools: so important, but why so unreliable?

Parents and schools are partners in the education of children because schools are a form a lised extension of the family, when it comes to the education of children. This partnership is also emphasised by recent legislation, like the South African Schools Act of 1996. This partnership is in line with the mission of parents to educate their children or assist in the education of their children. In spite of this demand for parental involvement in schools, the research in black schools underlying this article indicates that p a rental involvement in most black school activities is limited. Reasons like a negative attitude of parents towards schools and feelings of inferiority prevents parents to become effective partners of schools. The reasons for the lack of active participation in school activities and some possible solutions will receive attention in this contribution

Learner representatives in the governing bodies of secondary schools

Learners in secondary schools are officially represented in school governing bodies (SGBs) in terms of the South African Schools Act, Act 84 of 1996. As part of the democratisation process in South African society, decision-making power has been decentralised to the local level, where all role-players in the school and the community can contribute to its management. The important role of learners in the governing body must be seen against the background of learners’ involvement since 1976 in the antigovernment struggle to improve the conditions in black schools. Over the past few years, learners’ contribution to positive school management has been limited. They are seen as representing their fellow learners, and the relationship between adults and learners in the governing body has created some problems. The fact that learners have been excluded from certain meetings or parts of meetings may have serious implications for the legal status of those meetings and for the decisions of the SGBs

The contribution of teacher unions in the restoration of teacher professionalism and the culture of learning and teaching

The enhancement of the culture of learning and teaching (COLT) is important in education. To achieve this aim teachers play an important role because they are responsible for the one crucial part namely teaching. The teachers' motivation to perform well and their professionalism in the delivery of a high level performance is important in this aspect. A positive attitude and highly motivated teachers may have a positive effect in enhancing a positive COLT. The professional attitude of teacher and the perspective of teaching as a profession can also play an important role in the enhancement of COLT. In these circumstances it is important to recognise the role that the teacher unions can play in the enhancement of COLT as well as in the professionalism and motivation of teachers. This article focuses on the role of the teachers unions in the improvement teacher motivation and professionalism as prerequisites for a positive COLT. (South African Journal of Education: 2001 21(4): 222-227

The role of the principal, teachers and students in restoring the culture of learning, teaching and service (COLT) in black secondary schools in the Pretoria region

Political and social instability over many years has led to a crisis in the South African education system. One of the crucial changes and challenges that the new democracy faces is to reconstruct a society and an education system that will be able to establish a culture conducive to learning, teaching and services in schools (COLT). This article examines factors that have led to a loss of the culture of learning and teaching (COLT) in South African schools, and the characteristics of a positive culture expected by principals, teachers and students. Results indicate that although principals are attempting to influence this culture, there is little support for such changes from teachers and students. (South African Journal of Education: 2001 21(4): 311-316

Developments and prospects for biological control of Prosopis (Leguminosae) in South Africa

South Africa was the first country to deploy biological control (biocontrol) against invasive Prosopis populations. Developments in this regard have been ongoing, and have been reviewed, at approximately 10-year intervals, since 1991. This review spans the period 2011-2020, a timespan globally characterised by increased awareness of the impacts of invasive Prosopis populations, and recognition of the need for improved management. Concerted international collaboration has resulted in enhanced clarity on phylogenetic relationships within the Leguminosae and the phylogenetic placement of Prosopis. These advances have improved the framework for interpreting the host range of potential agents and for evaluating risk. At the outset of the biocontrol programme, in the 1980s, only agents that consumed mature seeds were considered. The intention was to reduce the invasiveness of Prosopis while simultaneously retaining it as a usable resource. The programme was subsequently expanded to investigate agents that prevent pod set or maturation of seed. More recently, potential agents that damage the vegetative growth of the plants have been included in response to recognition in South Africa, that there is no other route to successful management of Prosopis. There is a wealth of largely unexplored potential in this regard

Pollination and dispersal trait spectra recover faster than the growth form spectrum during spontaneous succession in sandy old‐fields

Question: Spontaneous succession is the most natural and cost‐effective solution for grassland restoration. However, little is known about the time required for the recovery of grassland functionality, i.e., for the recovery of reproductive and vegetative processes typical of pristine grasslands. Since these processes operate at different scales, we addressed the question: do reproductive and vegetative processes require different recovery times during spontaneous succession? Location: Kiskunság sand region (Central Hungary). Methods: As combinations of plant traits can be used to highlight general patterns in ecological processes, we compared reproductive (pollination‐ and dispersal‐related) and vegetative (growth form) traits between recovered grasslands of different age (<10 years old; 10–20 years old; 20–40 years old) and pristine grasslands. Results: During spontaneous succession, the reproductive trait spectra became similar to those of pristine grasslands earlier than the vegetative ones. In arable land abandoned for 10 years, pollination‐ and dispersal‐related trait spectra did not show significant difference to those of pristine grasslands; anemophily and anemochory were the prevailing strategies. Contrarily, significant differences in the growth form spectrum could be observed even after 40 years of abandonment; in recovered grasslands erect leafy species prevailed, while the fraction of dwarf shrubs and tussock‐forming species was significantly lower than in pristine grasslands. Conclusions: The recovery of the ecological processes of pristine grasslands might require different amounts of time, depending on the spatial scale at which they operate. The reproductive trait spectra recovered earlier than the vegetative one, since reproductive attributes first determine plant species sorting at the regional level towards their respective habitats. The recovery of the vegetative trait spectrum needs more time as vegetative‐based interactions operate on a smaller spatial scale. Thus, vegetative traits might be more effective in the long‐term assessment of restoration success than the reproductive ones

Leadership identity in ethnically diverse schools in South Africa and England

This article adopts an international perspective to examine the perceptions and practice of leaders in a South African and an English primary school and the leadership implications. Both schools have experienced a relatively swift and large scale diversification of learners away from the previous white majority. In each case the educators have not diversified to the same extent. Interview data is explored to consider how diversity is conceived, and the implications for practice. Similarities and differences are identified, in order to increase understanding of context, its relation to practice and the implications for development in diverse organizations and societies. The article concludes that in both countries there are assertions that skin colour does not matter. Such blindness is a barrier to building greater inclusion. © The Author(s) 2011