EDUCATION INTERNATIONAL School Leadership Meeting Meeting the challenges of school leadership in secondary educational establishments NASUWT Hillscourt Education Centre, Birmingham, England May 2007

Presentation of EI Leadership Questionnaire Results By Dennis Sinyolo (Coordinator: Education)

Presentation outline Respondents Recruitment of school leaders Criteria for appointment Roles of school leaders Union policy Union activities Implications

Respondents The questionnaire was sent to EI member organisations in 15 countries Responses were received from 13 of these countries, giving a response rate of 86.7% The countries that responded are: Denmark, England and Wales, Finland, France, Korea, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Portugal, Scotland, South Africa, Sweden and USA

Recruitment of school leaders 53.8% of the 13 unions (13 countries) that responded to the questionnaire reported that their countries recruit principals from both within and outside education sector The recruitment of principals from outside the education sector is more prevalent at secondary level However, the percentage of principals recruited from outside the education sector is generally low

Recruitment of school principals (cont.) Percentage of principals recruited from outside the education sector CountryPrimarySecondary Denmark - 25% England and Wales 1% France - 2% Koreaunknown Netherlands20%10% Norway - 1% Sweden2%3%

Criteria for appointment to school leadership position The requirements vary from country to country There are variations even within individual countries, mainly due to decentralisation The main requirements are teacher education and experience(3-5 years, except for Korea where 25 years teaching experience is required) Some countries require candidates to have a masters’ degree e.g. Finland & USA Some countries require a qualification in school leadership e.g. Scotland & Portugal At secondary level, some countries require a qualification in at least one of the subjects taught

Roles of school leaders Pedagogical/instructional roles Staff development, supervision, formulation of school vision and mission, creating climate conducive to effective teaching & learning etc 41.7% Management/administrative roles School budget, personnel function, school development etc 25.0% Team building Building learning communities-teachers, support staff, parents, students etc 20.8% Public relations Communication with parents, education authorities etc 12.5%

Union policy 9 out of 13 (69%) of the unions that responded have a policy on school leadership The main aspects of the policies are:  Standards and qualifications for headship  Promotion and recruitment criteria  Roles, responsibilities and duties of principals  Training, preparation and support  Emphasis on pedagogical leadership  Principals’ working conditions, including workload

Union activities 11 out of 13 (84.6%) of the respondents have undertaken school leadership activities The main activities undertaken are:  Professional development  Collective bargaining to improve principals’ conditions of work  Conferences, meetings and workshops  Legal advice or representation  Special committees/advisory councils to deal with school leadership issues  Publications

Implications There is an emerging trend-more and more countries are recruiting school principals from outside the education sector. Is this the way to go?  This issue is being debated within the OECD  Apparently, EI does not have a clear-cut policy on the recruitment of school leaders from outside the education sector Is it not high time all school leaders, particularly principals, went through leadership training? There is clear evidence that pedagogical or instructional leadership is the cornerstone of school leadership. How best can school principals be prepared and supported to exercise pedagogical leadership effectively?

Thank you