An investigation into effective management by principals of selected schools in the Rundu region of Namibia

Abstract

This M.Ed. mini-thesis is concerned with how schools are managed effectively by primary school principles. The major question addressed is: “what do principles do to manage schools effectively”? The researcher explored six schools in the Rundu Region of Namibian are managed by looking at factors such as planning, styles of management, monitoring and evaluation of teaching and learning activities, disciplinary code, communication, motivation of staff and in service training. The research for all schools studied are managed by means of development plans. All staff members were not involved in decision making, because they did not know the mission statement of their school. Schools have rules for learners which are not implemented. Communication is not sound, due to the fact that all the teaching staff did not know what going on at their schools'. Staff and learners were motivated to work and achieve better results. No pre-service training in management and leadership was provided prepare school managers for their work. Finally. the findings indicated that principle, head of department teachers did not know the objective., of their schools. There was no agreement as to the direction in which the schools were moving.