The school principal's management duties : a case of boys-only primary school in the Pinetown district of Kwazulu-Natal

Abstract

This study describes the research that was carried out at a boys-only primary school in the Pinetown District of Kwazulu-Natal. The study was conducted with the purpose of investigating the management duties undertaken by the principal regarding time, staff and curriculum. In order to achieve the aim of this study the main research question was formulated, that is: How does the principal of X primary boys-only school manage the administrative and instructional programme in the process of executing his duties? Chapter One orientates the reader regarding the purpose, research problem, motivation and design of the study. Chapter Two provides the theoretical framework in terms of the types of school management models with particular focus on the democratic management model and the systems theory. Qualitative research in the form of in-depth interviews and participant observation was undertaken in an attempt to answer the research question. Interviews were conducted with the school principal and four educators. Chapter Four presents the findings of the study which highlight the role of the principal in managing the aspects of the school while he delegates the various areas of management to the members of staff. The findings further reveal the principal’s involvement in all the processes from inception to end. Chapter Five concludes the study summatively. The chapter includes a brief account of what the study covered, assumptions made in the theoretical framework, and draws important conclusions and makes relevant recommendations about the management duties of the school principal.