An overview of education management in South Africa

I exam ine three m ain issues, wh ich are d irectly linked to school management developments in Sou th A fr ica since 1994 : school leadership and managem ent; professionalisation of principalship through the South African Standard for School Leadership (SASSL); and leading and managing the learning school. In exploring these issues I draw mainly on a systematic and comprehensive literature review of school leadership, management, and governance, commissioned by the Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance (MGSLG). The aim of the desk research was to establish ‘what is known’ and ‘what still needs to be known’ about edu cation al le adersh ip, managem en t, and gove rnance in South Africa. I also draw upon the work of the Education Managem ent Task Team (EMTT), commissioned by the D irectorate of Education Management and Governance Develop ment in the Na tional Dep artment of E ducation. The ir work drew upon the South A frican Schools Act (SASA) and, specifically, the recommendations of the Ministerial Task Team on Educational Management. The EMTT brief was to develop a policy framework for school leadership and management deve lopment, training and implementation, and to devise a South African Standard for School Leadership which would inform professional educational leadership programmes, leading to a National Professional Qua lification for P rincipalship (SA NPQP). The SASSL would provide a clear ro le description for principals, set out what is required of principals, and identify key areas of p rincipalship.