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
Article 140 of Law n°2022 – 018 on the general orientation of the education system in Madagascar states that the general educational administration staff is made up of teachers, educational supervisors, and managers (gestionnaires). Educational personnel are made up of teachers, trainers, inspectors, planners, management staff, training and school and university guidance advisors, education and training advisors, supervisors and administrative and technical agents.
Other documents use the term school director (directeur d’ecole) or the Head of School (Chef d'établissement). These terms are not defined in any official policy or legislation.
2. School principals
2.1. Leadership standards and roles
Competency standards and leadership frameworks and guidelines
Decree n° 2024-367, on the function of director of a public primary school, sets out the mission, the attributions, the method of appointment, the system of evaluation and control and the rights and obligations inherent to this function.
Functions and competencies of a pedagogical supervisor (teachers and school directors) are available on the Ministry of National Education’s e-learning course on pedagogical supervision. The course helps to differentiate the missions and responsibilities of each category of supervisor, including school directors.
Roles
Setting expectations/objectives: According to Decree n° 2024-367, the Director of a public primary school is responsible for steering and coordinating the activities of the public primary school, implementing the State's education policy. The director is responsible for pedagogical and administrative management and the planning of activities.
Developing teaching and learning: Decree n° 2024-367 establishes that school directors are responsible for ensuring the achievement of the educational objectives set by the Ministry, as well as for implementing pedagogical practices that guarantee the academic success of students.
Promoting collaboration: According to Decree n° 2024-367, the director shall ensure communication with members of the educational community and the decentralised technical services. The director is the major contact for teachers, parents, the municipality, partners and the school’s administrative team. The module on communication at the start of the school year, available on the Ministry of National Education’s e-learning course on pedagogical supervision, discusses how the director may contact parents and learners, such as through a meeting with the learner’s parents, establishing a correspondence book, or posting within the establishment.
Supporting staff development: The Ministry of National Education’s e-learning course for school directors on pedagogical supervision guides school directors on how to improve the pedagogical practice of teachers. Directors are expected to know how to pass on management instructions, lead, and motivate a team. They supervise the evolution of teachers’ practices and follow up with training or instruction. Educational supervision includes improving teacher’s teaching practice, the transmission of educational innovations, and the harmonization of teachers’ teaching practices.
Acting in accordance with the ethical principles of the profession: Law n°2022 – 018 on the general orientation of the education system in Madagascar mandates that teaching and training personnel follow the Decree: on the Code of Ethics of the Administration and of Good Conduct of State Employees, adopted by the council of ministers. Furthermore, the Madagascar e-learning website offers a course titled “Deontology and Professional Ethics of a School Director.” Through this course, school leaders learn to identify the duties and obligations of a school director towards the institution, the community, staff, parents and students. They also learn appropriate behaviors that should be adopted towards the same populations. For example, the duties and obligations of a school director to studies include respecting the rights of the child and ensuring equal opportunities. The director’s behavior towards students should be dignified and respectful.
2.2. Selection and working conditions
Degree requirements and prior teaching experience
According to Law No. 2003-011 of 3 September 2003 on the General Status of Civil Servants, a person may only be appointed to a civil service if they are older than 18 and have one of the titles required for the minimum recruitment level. Decree No. 1032/2017/MEN (Art. 19) specifies the academic or professional qualifications that primary, middle and high school teachers must possess. To become a director, one must have authorization to teach and have two years of experience for the primary level and three years of experience at the secondary level. To obtain a teaching permit, which is only issued for people over 21 years of age, teachers must provide various documents, including a birth certificate; a copy of the diploma issued by the competent administrative authority and the certificate or attestation of professional aptitude for teaching; an extract from the criminal record; a certificate of residence of less than six months; and a medical examination certificate. Directors must be above the age of 25.
Decree n° 2024-367 establishes that any candidate for the position of director of a public primary school shall now hold the Certificate of Aptitude for the Functions of School Director and meet the criteria for appointment set by order issued by the Minister in charge of national education (article 5). Article 8 of the same decree states that principals of public primary schools in office shall benefit from a procedure of “Validation of Prior Experiential Learning”, in order to obtain the certificate required for the performance of the function in accordance with the provisions of Article 5. According to Article 19, the directors of public primary schools in office have a period of 2 years to regularize their situation in accordance with this Decree from the date of its entry into force.
Appointment decision
Law n°2022 – 018 on the general orientation of the education system in Madagascar states that education and training personnel recruitment and career management conditions are set by Law No. 2003-011 of 3 September 2003 on the General Status of Civil Servants. According to this law, candidates are recruited by direct competition, professional competition, by qualification and by integration. Candidates who already have the status of civil servant may participate in professional competitions for recruitment to another civil servant position, provided that they have at least four years of seniority in their original body. The national directorate is responsible for the final nomination.
Chapter IV of the Decree n° 2024-367 – on the appointment, evaluation and removal of the director of public primary schools – establishes that the director of a public primary school shall be appointed by decision of the competent Regional Director of National Education on the advice of the Commission for the Evaluation of Public Primary School Directors.
Employment equity measures
Law No. 2003-011 of 3 September 2003 on the General Status of Civil Servants states that there is no discrimination based on sex, religion, opinion, origin, parentage, wealth, political conviction or membership in a trade union organization.
Working conditions
School leaders and teachers are considered Civil Servants under Law No. 2003-011 of 3 September 2003 on the General Status of Civil Servants.
2.3. Leadership preparation and training
Pre-service training
Decree n° 2024-367 (article 6) establishes that any candidate for the position of director of a public primary school shall hold the Certificate of Aptitude for the Functions of School Director. The modalities, the reference frameworks and the study regime of the training leading to obtaining the CAFDE are set by order of the Minister in charge of National Education.
Induction and in-service training
Decree n° 2024-367 (article 6) establishes that any candidate for the position of director of a public primary school shall hold the Certificate of Aptitude for the Functions of School Director. The modalities, the reference frameworks and the study regime of the training leading to obtaining the CAFDE are set by order of the Minister in charge of National Education.
3. Teachers, parents and students
3.1. School management committees and boards
The school director is a member of the teaching or pedagogical support staff. For their part, members of the educational community collaborate with parents in the governing board. In Madagascar, school management committees are referred to as Farinbon’Ezaka ho Fahombiazan’ny Fanabeazana eny Ifotony (FEFFI) or “Efforts to improve the effectiveness of local education” and are defined by a 2015 order. The order states that FEFFIs are associated with “the objective of improving education in terms of access and equity, quality of teaching and learning, and good management of the educational establishment.” FEFFI members may include the school staff, parents of students, leaders of administrations or local authorities. However, membership is open to any resident of the territorial jurisdiction or even “any natural or moral person of good will wishing to work in the field of fundamental education.” Students are not included.
3.2. Middle leaders
According to Law No. 2003-011 of 3 September 2003 on the General Status of Civil Servants, civil servants advance to higher levels of class every two years. Middle leaders in Madagascar may include pedagogical assistants and pedagogical advisors. Both help take on leadership tasks such as evaluation and providing pedagogical advice.
3.3. Parents
According to Law n°2022 – 018 on the general orientation of the education system in Madagascar, parents of students, through their representatives, have the right to participate in the management and running of public establishments. They may participate in the various deliberative bodies of primary and secondary education establishments (article 116).
3.4. Students
Law n°2022 – 018 on the general orientation of the education system in Madagascar gives students the right to participate in the life of the educational institution. Secondary and higher education learners may create associations for the defense of their material and moral rights and interests, both collective and individual, in compliance with the texts and laws in force (article 109).
4. Governance
4.1. Autonomy of school leaders
The school director is responsible for implementing educational policy in the school. Its actions are therefore essential for the improvement of administrative, pedagogical and financial management. According to the Decree n° 2024-367, school directors shall ensure the achievement of the educational objectives that the Ministry intends to achieve; take charge of the administrative management of the students; manage school staff; ensure the proper organisation of school life; ensure the security and maintenance of the school; overseeing the management of financial resources; ensure communication with members of the educational community and decentralised technical services; develop partnerships, etc.
4.2. Assessment and accountability of school leaders
Monitoring and evaluation, control and inspection are established at the local, regional and national level. According to Law No. 2003-011 of 3 September 2003 on the General Status of Civil Servants, every year, any civil servant in active or seconded service is awarded a grade expressing his professional value in the job held followed by a general assessment. According to the Decree n° 2024-367, directors of public primary schools are subject to evaluation by the Evaluation Commission at least once every two years. Article 14 establishes that the director of a public primary school shall be subject to periodic checks and unannounced checks. The evaluations and controls carried out shall be the subject of reports, which are sent to the Regional Director.
4.3. Teacher assessment by school leaders
According to the Ministry of National Education’s e-learning course for school directors on pedagogical supervision, school directors evaluate teachers yearly. Evaluations are measured against the objectives and expected results that teachers set at the beginning of the year. Part of pedagogical supervision includes carrying out classroom observations and providing teachers with positive and negative feedback as well as corrections and suggestions.
