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 term “director” is used in Eritrea’s National Education policy, 2017 Eritrea Education Sector Analysis. It is not defined. The Eritrean Notice 1-1991 uses “ሓላፊ ቤት ትምህርቲ” which is directly translated as “head of school.”
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
Eritrea does not seem to have any available competency standards or frameworks for school leaders.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: The 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan does indicate a goal of training directors and supervisors on school-based action research and research activities as well as the Educational Management Information System.
Developing teaching and learning: Directors are responsible for controlling and supervising the quality of teaching and learning in their centres regularly.
Promoting collaboration: Eritrea’s National Education policy sought to empower the community in the management of schools to cultivate ownership and partnership. One of the indicators in the 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan is for school directors to be trained in community mobilization. The Ministry of Education has experience in Community Participation (CP) and involving key stakeholders in the design and implementation of projects.
Supporting staff development: The training of teachers is a responsibility reserved for the Ministry of Education in partnership with higher education schools.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: No information was found.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
Eritrea’s National Education policy states that “Directors for the elementary and middle levels should have bachelor's degree, and Supervisors for these levels should have bachelor's degree or higher diploma. At the secondary level, directors and supervisors should have a master's degree.”
According to the 2017 Eritrea Education Sector Analysis, the MoE’s requirement of the minimum standard needed to teach basic education is a two-year basic education teaching diploma and for the secondary level a minimum of Bachelor’s degree. While 78% to 81.3% of the teachers fulfil the standards of qualification required to teach, research shows that “only 24.2% and 47.4% of the administrative staff at primary and middle levels respectively have a diploma and above. Similarly, 34.1% and 11.5% of the administrative staff at secondary and TVET schools respectively have first degrees and above”. It also states that most of the existing school management personnel do not have adequate training in school leadership and management.
Appointment decision
No information was found.
Employment equity measures
According to the 2017 Eritrea Education Sector Analysis, in the context of education in Eritrea, social justice is the provision of equitable access to relevant education of high quality to all citizens invariably, ensuring that those enrolled are retained and complete a certain level of education or acquire employable skills. Equity is therefore an enduring commitment of the government. Those disadvantaged in any way should be supported to complete their education by various means of affirmative action or positive discrimination as a bridging measure until a level playing field is created.
There are very few female decision-makers in the MoE, schools, and colleges. Only 6.5% of primary school directors are women, and even less in middle and secondary levels. The 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan also indicates a goal of upgrading 200 basic education female directors to diploma level. The plan sought to improve the qualifications of currently serving directors who did not have proper qualifications.
Working conditions
Educational workers, including teachers and administration, for primary, middle, secondary and TVET are paid by the same scale according to the qualification they hold.
GPE, 2015
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
The College of Education at Eritrea Institute of Technology prepares teachers for the profession. The Asmara Community College of Education (ACCE) has in place a diploma program to upgrade the qualification of teachers and directors to diploma level. The government, alongside the Global Partnership for Education (GPE) aimed to train 1500 school directors. There is no mandated pre-service training according to available documentation.
Induction and in-service training
Training is provided to school directors. The 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan notes that Continuous Professional Development (CPD) in school leadership and management is crucial. Objective 1.1 is to strengthen the professional capacity of teachers, school directors and supervisors through in-service training. Objective 1.2 aims to develop the pedagogic practice of teachers, school directors and supervisors through short-term training, seminars and workshops. One topic that should be covered is ICT use in classrooms.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan states that “the school management, together with the Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs), are responsible for the overall school management and school development programs.” It seems that public schools in Eritrea do not have school management boards, but rather the school’s leadership team, including directors.
According to Eritrean Notice 1-1991, non-governmental schools should have an education committee. Members include the head of the school, one democratically elected teacher, one democratically elected student in the secondary level, and representatives from the parent meeting. The structure and procedure of the committee is established by internal rules. The committee advises and assists the head of the school to ensure the school is maintained in good character and ethics.
3.2. Middle leaders
No information was found.
3.3. Parents
Eritrea’s National Education Policy, as outlined in the 2017 Eritrea Education Sector Analysis, encourages the formation of Parent Teacher Associations (PTAs) to support the decentralization of the education system. These PTAs, particularly in urban areas, may request community contributions to help cover education costs. Additionally, Parent Teacher Student Associations (PTSAs) have increasingly been assigned more responsibilities in school management, working collaboratively with local communities.
3.4. Students
No information was found.
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
According to the 2017 Eritrea Education Sector Analysis, Education Offices in the six Zobas are responsible for the overall administration and management of the education sector. This includes tasks such as overall planning and budgeting, setting standards and pedagogical guidance and regulation, human resources development and research as well as monitoring and evaluation. TVET sub-sector and teacher training are still managed centrally. School management has also been transferred to local communities and PTSAs. Directors do not have autonomy over the curriculum.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
The 2018-2022 Education Sector Plan states that directors are accountable to their supervisors. According to the 2017 Eritrea Education Sector Analysis, the supervisor systematically collects and analyzes information, and relates it to explicit educational and occupational standards, criteria and values. Supervision is conducted through “classroom observation of the teaching-learning process, and providing feedback and support to teachers and school managers to ensure the provision of quality education.” Supervision activities include the monitoring of policy, standards, and guideline implementation; monitoring curriculum implementation; and conducting surveys and research on quality of education.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
Teacher evaluations follow the same process as the ones for school directors. It is unclear if they are assessed by the school director.
