Content area
In view of the increasing complexity of the school as organisation, the education leader is confronted by changing demands with regard to his/her management task. In recent times a growing awareness has arisen of the fact that effective management of schools cannot be realised without a purposeful management development programme. The quality of leadership in education needs to be strengthened continuously in the best interests of effective education, therefore certain management skills need to be acquired.
A number of management models from the domains of Industrial Psychology and Education Management are briefly discussed with the purpose of identifying elements and dimensions of management which may also be used in an education management development programme. With a view to the selection of management elements for an education management model, the most common and typical elements of management have been summarised.
From the available literature in the field of management in general, and education management in particular, management criteria have been developed for the selected elements which can be used to evaluate an education management development programme.
Four existing education management development programmes are briefly discussed, after which each programme is evaluated by means of the selected management elements and criteria.
A management development programme for white education leaders has subsequently been compiled from the principles for implementing the programme; the explanation of the management development needs of education leaders; the aims and objectives formulated for the programme; the contents of the programme; the methods which may be used to accomplish the objectives; and the methods suggested to evaluate the results of the programme.
Research has revealed that the quality of the exposure of education leaders in schools to certain selected management skills is a precondition for the successful fulfilment of all aims and objectives.