Risk behaviour of primary school learners in a disadvantaged community - a situation analysis

The prevalence of substance use and high-risk sexual behaviour of 460 primary school learners, from four schools in a historically disadvantaged urban area, was investigated. It was found that 14% of the primary school learners in this study currently used alcohol, 4% smoked marihuana, 3% sniffed solvents, 9% used over-the-counter medicines and 2% used illegal drugs. Of the 24% of learners that reported being sexually experienced, only 40% protected themselves from HIV / AIDS and 35% used birth control measures. Furthermore, the learners indicated that they did not experience high levels of support from their families and friends and many of them were exposed to substance abuse in their homes. The majority of the learners were of the opinion that substance use and sexual activity were inappropriate behaviour for their age group. Recommendations are made for prevention strategies aimed at primary school learners. (South African Journal of Education: 2003 23 (1): 58-64

Problems experienced by women re-entering the education profession: a South African case study

The problems experienced by women re-entering the education profession in South Africa were focused on. A review of the literature revealed that problems are experienced at five different levels: within the women themselves, in their work situation, at management level, within their career, and within society. These observations were tested empirically by means of a structured questionnaire. The results indicated that the most significant problems were experienced by women educators at three levels: within themselves, within their career, and within society. Problems at management level were not widely experienced by female educators. On the basis of these findings, it is recommended that increases in maternity benefits, as well as the introduction of paternity and childcare leave, should be introduced to assist women educators to combine work and family responsibilities more successfully. Good childcare facilities are also essential for allowing re-entering women to combine family and workplace responsibilities. More promotion opportunities should also be provided for women who aspire to educational management positions. (South African Journal of Education: 2003 23 (1): 65-70

Leading and manage diverse schools in South Africa

All school populations are diverse in many ways. The diversity in South African schools has been compounded since 1994 with the migration of Black learners to former ‘white’ schools. Some schools and their principals have succeeded in coping efficiently with the new social and cultural makeup of their schools, while others have been struggling and even resigned under the pressures of all the conflicting demands from stakeholders. The theoretical and empirical investigation reported in this paper shows that principals and schools could benefit enormously from learning from the experiences of the more successful schools and their principal

Principals’ involvement in the career development of female teachers: a case study in South Africa

Career planning is an important aspect of Human Resource Development and Management. This research is centered on the question as to whether school principals in South Africa fulfill their management role with respect to the career development of female teachers. The results indicate that principals rated their involvement in the career development of female educators relatively high, whereas female educators do not experience the principals to be supportive in terms of the identification of career weaknesses and strengths, the availability of career development programs and opportunities or support in terms of discussions and planning on career development. Principals nevertheless are of the opinion that adequate career development programs for female teachers are lacking at their schools and that they themselves do not adequately accommodate the fact that career paths for women differ from those of men. It is recommended that Departments of Education should place more emphasis on the professional development of school principals in order for them to be able to focus on the career development of female teachers at their schools. It should focus on all aspects of female educators’ career development.http://businessperspectives.org/component/option,com_journals/task,journal/id,3/Itemid,74/http://businessperspectives.org/component/option,com_journals/task,journal/id,3/Itemid,74

Problems experienced by secondary school deputy principals in diverse contexts: a South African study

This paper reports on research that was undertaken to determine the problems experienced by deputy principals in secondary schools, and the extent to which these problems were experienced. Although some research was conducted on the deputy principalship, no research treats the problems that deputy principals experience upon appointment comprehensively. An understanding of the problems experienced by secondary school deputy principals is a necessary precursor of an induction program to address the problems. A quantitative approach which was underpinned by the post-positivist paradigm was adopted. In order to determine the extent to which the problems were experienced, a survey was conducted among one hundred and fifty seven secondary school deputy principals in the North West Province. The participants came from a diverse context of rural, township and urban schools. The deputy principals who participated in the study included those who were newly appointed (one to three years of service) and those who were experienced (more than three years of service). Data were analyzed by means of descriptive statistics such as frequencies, means and percentages. There were no significant differences in the responses of both newly-appointed and experienced deputy principals. The results revealed that deputy principals experienced administrative, financial management, work pressure, personal and physical resources problems. In an attempt to address the problems identified, a context-specific induction program is recommended. The induction program should be an on-going program of professional development and should preferably include specific aims, action steps to be taken to achieve the aims that are set and measures to evaluate progress