School Leadership
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
2.2. Selection and working conditions
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
1. Terminology
The 1966 Education Act (as amended in 2003) defines a ‘manager’ in relation to a school ‘the person or body of persons responsible for the management of the school and, for the purposes of the provisions of this Act relating to applications for the registration of schools to be established, includes any person or body of persons proposing to be so responsible’. There are also specific references to the duties of school principals without defining their specific role.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
The Botswana Teaching Professionals Council, under the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, is a regulatory body established under the 2019 Teaching Professionals Council Act to regulate the teaching profession and maintain professional standards for teachers and school leaders, which include knowledge, skills and competencies. The Council is currently in the process of developing Teacher Professional Standards and Competences (including school leadership standards).
According to the 2015-20 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan, the government aims to further develop a National Policy and Strategy on Education Leadership and Management, which include specific quality leadership and management standards and competency frameworks. The government additionally plans to establish an Educational Leadership and Management Development Centre for school heads, in line with Teaching Council policies, guidelines and frameworks, with representation at all education levels.
The 1966 Education Act (as amended in 2003) outlines the duties of a manager (Article 20), with various references to duties of school principals. Duties of principals are additionally described in the 1994 Revised National Policy on Education.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: No information was found.
Developing teaching and learning: The 2015-20 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan aims to develop guidelines for school improvement in school management standards.
Promoting collaboration: The government aims to develop a mechanism that encourages communication and collaboration between school managers, parent-teacher associations, and student councils. The 1994 Revised National Policy on Education additionally aims to foster collaboration between teachers.
Supporting staff development: According to the 1994 Revised National Policy on Education, the school head should assume primary responsibility for the professional development of teachers within their schools, through routine observations and organization of workshops.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: The Code of Ethics developed by the Teaching Professional Council sets out ethical guidelines and best practices for all teachers (including principals) to follow for honesty, integrity, and professionalism in the teaching profession.
Others: According to the 1966 Education Act (as amended in 2003), the manager of every school must keep a record of teachers employed at the school and ensure that the principal keeps a register of student enrolment and daily attendance. The manager, principal and school staff are additionally responsible for furnishing any information required by inspectors during school inspections regarding the care and tuition of students, curriculum, and conditions of service of staff.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
In the 1994 Revised National Policy on Education, the criteria for appointing teachers to school principal positions are a degree or diploma, and 3 or more years of experience as a deputy headteacher or head of department. According to the recruitment requirements of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development, head teachers must have a bachelor’s degree in education or its equivalent, and a minimum of ten years’ experience, of which two years must have been served as deputy school head. The criteria for appointment to the position of deputy school head include a bachelor’s degree or diploma in education, and a minimum of 8 years of experience, during which 2 years must have been served as head of department at a secondary school.
According to the 1966 Education Act (as amended in 2003), all teachers must be members of unified Teaching Service (Article 24). The 2019 Teaching Professionals Council Act mandates the Teaching Professionals Councils to register and license all teachers.
Appointment decision
School principals are appointed and selected based on open applications to vacancies posted by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development. Applications are addressed to the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education and Skills Development.
Employment equity measures
The 2015 National Policy on Gender and Development provides a framework for mainstreaming gender in all sectors, including social protection and social services such as education. The 2017-23 National Development Plan II further aims to increase women’s participation and representation in leadership. The government additionally works with civil society organizations in training and building the capacity of women in leadership skills.
Working conditions
The conditions of service of all teachers (including principals) are regulated by the 2008 Public Service Act. Teachers and principals are considered civil servants employed on permanent and pensionable terms.
Salary scales are set at the national level. A head of school may typically earn around 204,700 BWP (14781.85 USD) per year, which can range from the lowest average salary of about 107,900 BWP ( 7791.70 USD) to the highest average salary of 308,900 BWP (22306.37).
The Botswana Sectors of Educators Trade Union represents school managers, including school heads, deputy school heads, and heads of department.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
The 2015-20 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan aims to improve school leadership and management at all levels, with a specific objective to increase enrolment in pre-service training for leadership and management for school leaders and managers.
Induction and in-service training
Once school principals have been appointed, there is an induction process to prepare them for their new role and further training on education leadership organized by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development. The Teaching Professionals Council is specifically mandated to promote the continuous professional development of all educators, as described in the 2019 Teaching Professionals Council Act.
The 2015-20 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan has an overarching goal to improving school leadership management, in order to ‘equip head teachers and other managers with knowledge, skills and attitude needed to improve performance management and positively impact quality of education’. Specific objectives under this goal include training all school heads to a professional level in leadership, planning and management; developing a coaching system for supporting the continuing professional development of school heads and other managers; supporting an annual forum on school leadership and management; and training school heads on quality assessment and quality assurance practices. Through setting standards and frameworks and developing a national policy on education leadership and management, it is further envisaged that a quality teacher and leader workforce will be developed in the medium to long-term that will raise the quality of education and learning outcomes. The government generally aims to design and develop accredited in-service training programmes for ‘Leadership and Management’ at all levels, that will be integrated with Teaching Council policies, guidelines, and frameworks.
The 2017-23 National Development Plan II similarly includes objectives for improving school-level management acknowledging the ‘need to equip head teachers and other managers with the knowledge, and skills needed to improve performance management, and positively impact the quality of education’.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The 1966 Education Act (as amended in 2003) provides for the establishment of school committees for primary schools and boards of governors in secondary schools, with membership including representatives of the Ministry of Education, local education authority, parents of students, communities served by the school, or other bodies or organizations. Functions include advising the manager on the appointment, supervision, and dismissal of non-teaching staff; advising the manager on the appointment and resignation/dismissal of school staff or teachers; maintaining school furniture and equipment; and organizing fund-raising activities for the school (Article 12).
3.2. Middle leaders
The 2015-20 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan refers to deputy heads, staff development coordinators and heads of departments as middle leaders in the school system.
3.3. Parents
According to the 1994 Revised National Policy on Education, the government should intensify efforts to encourage the establishment of parent-teacher associations at all schools, which were legitimized by policy to ‘provide an effective forum for schools to keep in close contact with the communities that they serve, and therefore, ensure that parents take an interest in, and contribute to the education of their children’. Every school is expected to have a parent-teacher association, ensuring that parents participate in school activities.
3.4. Students
he 2015-20 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan includes a dedicated goal under ‘student leadership’ to strengthen student-based council structure and processes for student’s participation in their own development and well-being. This includes objectives to revise policy and guidelines on student leadership and governance in all schools, set up high-quality student council bodies in all schools, carry out consultations with students on issues of inclusive education, develop school council guidelines, and carry out ongoing capacity building of student council members.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
According to the 1966 Education Act (as amended in 2003), the national curriculum, subjects of instruction and syllabus is set at the national level by the Ministry of Education and Skills Development. The Ministry of Education must additionally give written approval on the employment of teachers in schools. School heads are responsible for planning and controlling budgets in their schools.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
The 2015-2020 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan sets specific objectives on development of an effective and efficient assessment system for school leaders and managers, which will be based on competency frameworks and performance appraisals. The government specifically aims to establish a performance management system for school leaders linked to continuous professional development and in line with Teacher Council policies.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
The 2015-2020 Education and Training Sector Strategic Plan sets specific objectives on developing professional standards for teachers and determining a set of teacher competences, prioritizing accountability for appropriate use of time in the school by teachers. To this end, school leaders, in collaboration with middle leaders, maintain teacher evaluation and development records which are linked to teacher professional development and progression in line with Teacher Council policies, Teaching Service Subsidiary legislations of the Education Act and policies, National Performance Monitoring and Evaluation Policy and the Public Service Act.
This profile was reviewed by Masome T. Rebaone, Education Programme Officer at the Botswana National Commission for UNESCO.
