The Yew Chung model of dual culture co‐principalship: a unique form of distributed leadership

Abstract

There is currently much discussion about distributed leadership, both as a model of reality in many schools and as an alternative to focused leadership. One model in practice is co‐principalship. This paper offers a preliminary investigation into a unique form emerging in a small body of international schools in China. The Yew Chung model, involving dual authority between a Western co‐principal and a Chinese co‐principal, has not previously been explored. The Yew Chung International School in Shanghai was visited and the co‐principals were interviewed. Information was sought about the philosophy and dynamics of the arrangement. The Yew Chung dual culture model of co‐principalship has emerged as a sensible and pragmatic form of school leadership in a modern Chinese context. Holistically it sits within a wider framework aiming to offer a viable alternative form of global citizenship. Within its setting it can principally be conceptualized as a visible manifestation of a suppressed Christian ethos and as a precautionary model of decision‐making in a rapidly changing socio‐economic environment. The Yew Chung arrangement as a dual culture model is unique in its setting. The rationale and philosophy behind the model also make it a unique one. The model has enormous implications for international schools, especially when the principal is alien to the host culture, and more generally for schools operating in a multicultural setting. The Yew Chung arrangement as a cross‐cultural model of distributed leadership offers much research potential. The scope for it to be copied in other international schools is limited, although it can easily be visualized in other cultural settings.