The moral dilemmas of Italian principals

Abstract

The purpose of this study is to investigate the moral dilemmas faced by a principal. A well-functioning school depends on many factors. Among these factors, the competence of the principal plays an important role. Often this competence, defined as leadership, is understood in a technical way because it is often interpreted as the acquisition of legal and management skills. In contrast, a good school requires strong humanistic competence and, in particular, ethical knowledge. The narratives of the principals reveal the sense of the inadequacy of their role: the administrators declared that they do not have a suitable and complete preparation to manage the complexity of the system. Their primary concerns relate to the evaluation and disciplinary aspects of the students, as well as the sense of responsibility aimed at the training of the entire person, not only his personal education.
 Keywords: Ethical leadership, Italian principals, moral dilemmas.