The Responsibilities and Duties of a Principal

These would include the following: EVERYTHING that happens at the school and the quality and standard of its implementation, management and performance. It is not possible to list the major responsibilities and duties of the principal in order of importance, as this order would shift daily, if not hourly; the duty you are dealing with at that moment becomes the most important for the duration of the exercise. The most important duties and responsibilities would be:

* Having a vision for the academic success of all students

* Creating a positive climate and atmosphere for teaching and learning to take place

* The management and control of finances of the school

* Developing leadership at all levels

* Working closely with school governors

* Dealing with parental concerns and complaints

* Providing for the emotional well-being of staff and learners and sometimes also of parents

* Managing school administration processes

* Taking responsibility for all strategic and general planning for the school

* Co-ordinating and organising the implementation of all planning

* Implementing and monitoring the academic curriculum

* Creating and implementation of all timetables

* Keeping accurate records and monitoring student records

* Keeping control of all school stock

* Ensuring the school has all suitable infrastructure and maintaining this

* Ensuring that the school is fully resourced

* Supervising staff professional growth

* The induction of new staff and students into the school

* Working with the local community

* Evaluation of staff performance

* Ensuring the safety and security of all teachers and students

* Controlling access to the school

* Keeping abreast of all educational developments and changes

* Implementing the school extracurricular programme

* Being aware of staff and student rights

* Controlling the discipline and attendance of staff and learners

* Drawing up and implementing school policies

* Being fully aware of and compliant with appropriate legislation of the country

* Communicating regularly with all stakeholders

* Attending all meetings at the school and on behalf of the school

* Showing high visibility in the school

* Giving affirmation to the achievements of the staff and learners

* Developing and ensuring positive relationships within the school

* Building a culture of professionalism and academic honesty

* Holding all members of the school accountable for their actions and behaviour

* Representing the school at all official and unofficial occasions

In short, a principal is responsible and accountable for everything that happens at a school and, depending on the circumstances, even what happens outside of the school. This constitutes a vast set of responsibilities and nearly all of them involve working with people in the full range of human relationships. The "soft skills" used in working effectively with people are critical to the success of the school and the career of the principal.

Educational Vision

Heads of schools must have an educational/academicpurpose and vision. All teachers and principals are academics, implementing an academic agenda for the education of their students. One of the most important instruments in leading an educational institution is to have an academic vision: a clear understanding of academic principles will guide how one is going to lead the school and justify the school's existence to the community. It should also define the content of all relationships within the school.

School curricula will always have a political agenda and be influenced by the prevailing social and economic environment beliefs. School curricula will come and go and change over the years, so a principal must have sound and timeless academic beliefs and skills that must be able to cut through the prevailing educational issues of time and place. In other words, curricula are political instruments that are relative to many external forces. Academic principles are built on never-changing skills which are used in search of truth and knowledge.

Academic skills are the foundations and cornerstones of education and school leadership. They can always be justified and supported in front of any audience and to all stakeholders. Any academic principle which fails to concentrate on these basic skills is doomed to superficiality and ultimately to failure.

These skills would include:

* Reading

* Writing

* Calculating

* Interpretation

* Selecting

* Critical analysis

* Experimenting

* Creativity

* Organising

* Economic skills

* Research ability

* Presentation

* Debating

* Listening

* Study skills

* Note taking

* Computer skills

Aristotle is a towering figure as an academic role model. His teachings and academic principles are timeless and his inquiring mind and academic methodologies are at the root of all academic foundations. They have survived the test of time. He is the 'father' of academic life and scientific practice. His conclusions may have become outdated, but his methods and intellectual skills will always be the foundations of academic endeavour.

School principals must have their own academic icons, discovered in their personal reading and research, who will serve as role models and sources of academic inspiration.

Albert Einstein would serve as a more modern academic icon. Academics are about the search for the truth, building knowledge, exploring the universe and instilling skills. Academic areas include mathematics, the sciences, humanities, music and the arts. Aristotle also taught ethics and morality. All of these require critical and creative abilities. Students can only move forward in the world with knowledge and skills and the tools to understand and find the truth. Anything less and teachers are giving their students a false version of life and poor life skills.

This is not a political statement, but a statement of academic intent that has no favour or prejudice. Its purpose is to give young minds a hope of the future free from bias or prejudice and equip them with the skills to build a life based on truth and reality founded on the pillars of knowledge and skills. Students can then use these foundations to build their own lives and careers. This is how generations have built on each other's successes over time.

Academic principles are the cornerstone of a school and the principal's function.

A principal is an academic, leading an academic institution based on academic principles to an academic outcome.

Being a Role Model

The media is filled with so-called leaders who have been guilty of corruption, infidelity, drug abuse and dishonesty. Principals must never fall into that trap. Principals must be the role models for everything that is good in society. Any behaviour that is considered socially, legally and professionally unacceptable will be commented on.

A principal is the leader of a community as well as a school. He or she is a pillar of society who is expected to set the example of how to live a well-balanced and constructive life for all citizens. The head is a role model to impressionable young people and to teachers who need to model their conduct and professionalism on the example set by the principal. A head is carefully watched by a large, predominantly critical audience, so his or her conduct has to be perfect at all times. All comments, deeds, attitudes, opinions, appearance and actions come under the microscope and are loudly and probably publicly commented on. He or she is looking after children, so his or her conduct will always be under the spotlight. A principal needs these comments to be as positive as possible so that people can learn from the good example they set. A principal has "celebrity" status, yet most modern celebrities are hardly good examples for the young to emulate. Every teenager needs a positive role model and a principal should be one of those models.

In the modern era, everyone has a lens to record any comment or appearance that is deemed to be inappropriate and it is then rapidly spread throughout the community. Everything is recorded and placed in the social media for all to read and see. There is no place to hide when one is in the public eye, especially when things go wrong.

Being a role model applies especially to one's daily conduct. Every action is observed and copied or criticised, from how one treats people to how one is dressed, is observed and discussed over numerous dinner tables. People will immediately form a positive or negative impression and that label tends to be permanent. It is very difficult to change first impressions, so one's morality, conduct and life principles should be beyond question.

Some pitfalls can be avoided, but doing so will impinge on the most private areas of life. This is unavoidable, and railing against these limitations is pointless once you accept the role of principal.

Some of the unwritten rules a principal accepts when signing on the dotted line are:

Do not drink in public and, even in what you deem to be private surroundings, never drink to excess. Be constantly aware of any impropriety of a sexual nature. Any hint of financial dishonesty must and will be questioned. How one dresses will be commented on, and so apparel must be suitable and professional. How heads manage their private life will become public news. It is inevitable when going on holiday that you will meet students and their families, and the news will travel back to the community very quickly if your behaviour has been inappropriate. Of course, this does not mean that you cannot relax or enjoy the beach, for example, but restraint must still apply even in these circumstances.

Ultimately it is important to keep our private and public lives simple and uncomplicated in order to be able to fulfil the role we took on when we accepted the promotion to principal.

Our professional lives are too stressful and complicated to then add personal conflicts and problems to the equation. We have the right to a life outside school, and in my opinion it is not only a good idea to go to church or any other place of worship, join a gym, running club or a book club, it will also probably keep you sane. But again, we must be careful how we behave, what we say and what we do. I cannot dictate how others live their lives, but I can safely say that being a family person, following a healthy life style and living a balanced life will gain the respect of and enhance your influence within the community.

The alternative creates a breeding ground for intrigue and rumours that are not productive when creating and achieving sound school discipline and values. Too often people in public life get caught out doing something "wrong" and immediately all respect is lost. We have to be on our best behaviour and do the right thing. By doing the right thing, more "right things" will happen to you and your school. We have to build and model our public image, and strive for personal mastery. If there is risk of negative comment or the principal does not feel right about anything, the easy answer is, do not do it!

Every head must lead with integrity, honour and honesty, which is easier said than done. To sum up, some markers for living with integrity in this profession are:

* Dressing smartly and professionally, and being well groomed

* Always being punctual

* Having impeccable manners

* Speaking clearly, and thinking before speaking

* Having a positive attitude

* Having a sense of humour – a vital life-skill

* Keeping commitments and appointments

* Being healthy and energetic

* Being fair and just

* Being charitable

* Being a supporter of everything in the school

* Showing appreciation and consideration for all

A principal is chosen for the position because of the skills and attributes he or she possesses. Thus we should always attempt to be the best leader and person we can be; we can aim for nothing less.

Filling the Role of Principal....

... the challenge begins

Deciding to become a principal and applying for the position are huge and life changing decisions. One does not apply to be a principal of any school without carefully considering the implications, such as:

* Location

* Size of the school

* Academic, sporting and cultural history

* Financial position of the school

* Student and teacher complement

* The management of the school

* Ethos

* Facilities and infra-structure

* Future prospects

* Type of community

* Security

A prospective principal would also need to consider the following:

* The stress of the position

* The substantial commitment to time at the school

* The pressures taking this job will have on the applicant's family

* The sacrifices of family time and possibly health

* The challenge of working with people

* The personal challenge to the applicant's integrity, honour and competence

There is a huge responsibility and emotional commitment to running a school that cannot be under-estimated. In many ways taking on this role is as life-changing as a marriage, yet we fail to treat the decision with the respect and circumspection it deserves.

Consider the commitment carefully, and choose your school wisely. Be very clear on the reasons for becoming the principal of a specific school. To take the metaphor one step further, you would not marry someone just because you want to be a married person. The motivation is that you wish to be married to one particular partner, who has all the qualities you admire and love. When becoming a principal, the specific school is just as important. It is a life-changing commitment filled with excitement, adventure, drama, learning and progress. It will not be boring.

The selection process you will go through when applying for this job is long and stressful. No Board of Governors, Governing Body or Education Department wants to make a mistake and appoint the wrong person to run the school. The interviews are long and challenging and the competition tough.

Receiving the news that one is appointed is thrilling. It is the reward for a successful teaching career. One has achieved recognition. It is an affirmation of one's leadership and management potential and ability. Other people have seen the potential one has and have placed their trust in one's skills and abilities. The announcement of the new principal to the community is filled with excitement and anticipation.

If the principal was already a deputy at the school, the transition into the position is much easier, although people need to change their perspective towards the new principal. If the new head is from another school, then the announcement and introduction is a lot more complicated. Everyone faces the unknown factor, but it does allow the newly-appointed principal the breathing space to become familiar with the school and the school with him or her during a short period while everyone becomes acquainted. Initially there are no expectations as the whole school is on a big learning curve. The challenge arises if there is a deputy who also applied for the post and obviously did not get it. The new head is going to have to forge a relationship with the deputy and not create a hostile opponent who has the potential to be disruptive.

The honeymoon is soon over and the real challenges are to be met. The new school could confront you with a variety of different situations. They could do any of the following:

* welcome you as the agent of much needed change

* see the new head as a threat

* test your strength and challenge you with some difficult problems

* sit back and wait to see what happens (the most common reaction)

* a few might try to sabotage your efforts.

* others will even venture that the wrong person was chosen

You can be quite sure that:

* The new head will be compared to the previous head

* Strange stories will come out about the past career of the new principal

Observe everyone closely and decide what sort of mixed reaction you have received at the new school. It will give clues as to how you can move forward.

It is safe to anticipate that there is a disappointed deputy already at the school who applied and thought he or she should have got the post. It is important to have a meeting with the deputy as soon as possible to begin to iron out problems and get this person's support, even if it is reluctant at first. Be humble and gracious by showing respect and recognition of the abilities and support this person has to offer to you and to the school. It is more important to build the foundations for a future alliance, than to demand loyalty and obedience. Professional respect and even friendship will take a long time, with very careful nurturing, but is vital for your survival as the principal and for the well-being of the school. It is important to remember that this deputy was vitally involved in the running of the school before your arrival, and was considered good enough to apply for the job. Do not alienate the deputy.