Lack of support within the South African education system augments challenges principals experience

Abstract

Principals as crucial change agents are required to ensure that education changes are successfully implemented and that school improvement takes place. This paper focuses on the challenges that principals experience regarding aspects within the education system. The qualitative approach and phenomenological design were utilized, and semi-structured interviews were conducted with purposely selected participants (13 principals). As a national department, the Department of Basic Education (DBE) in South Africa is strategically structured to service and support all the entities within the education system. The DBE places enormous pressure on principals to ensure that academic standards are met, quality teaching and learning takes place, and that continuous education changes are implemented successfully. The importance of the education districts and Circuit Managers within the DBE to give continuous and relevant support is accentuated. This paper emphasizes that the challenges mentioned by the participants are ironically associated with aspects within the education system – the system that is supposed to support principals. Recommendations are made to the DBE to implement relevant strategies and planning through education districts and Circuit Managers to improve the indispensable support to principals.