Wallmansthal High School in Pretoria has been plagued by ongoing issues, including contact bullying, cyberbullying, and gambling. Despite these serious concerns, school leadership has failed to take effective action.
In 2023, the Representative Council of Learners (RCL) at Wallmansthal formally requested intervention from the Department of Education, citing the principal’s inability to maintain a safe learning environment. In 2024, the principal invited police officers to address students about bullying, fighting, and gambling. However, the problem persisted, with students even being filmed gambling inside a classroom.
The RCL has raised concerns about the principal’s effectiveness and the overall management of the school, arguing that poor leadership has failed to protect learners and create a conducive environment for education. This raises urgent questions: how many South African school principals and fit for purpose, and how can we ensure they are not failing our learners?
Why principal leadership matters
The challenges at Wallmansthal High School are not isolated – many South African schools struggle with weak or ineffective leadership. This matters because there is evidence to show that effective school leadership is a critical factor in shaping the quality of education.
According to Jonathan Molver, founder and CEO of Proteus Advisory, research from the Education Development Trust indicates that 60% of student outcomes are influenced by the quality of teachers and principals, with principals alone accounting for 25% of the impact. This means that a principal’s competence is directly tied to whether a school thrives or fails.
However, South Africa faces a severe shortage of well-trained principals. The Advanced Certificate in Education (ACE) programme, previously used to develop school leaders, was discontinued. Although the government has introduced the South African Standards for School Principalship (SASSP) as a benchmark, its adoption has been slow due to low incentives, union influence, a lack of accountability, and a limited pool of qualified candidates.
Proposed solutions to improve school leadership
To ensure principals are fit for purpose, experts like Anthea Cereseto, CEO of the Governing Body Foundation, have advocated for the introduction of a formal, standardised National Qualifications Framework (NQF) qualification for principals. This would help professionalise the role and guarantee that school leaders are adequately trained to manage schools effectively.
In the absence of such a qualification, the Education Labour Relations Council (ELRC) has proposed new hiring criteria to prevent unqualified teachers from becoming principals. Under this policy, a candidate must have:
- Seven years of teaching experience, including three as a deputy principal, or
- Eight years of teaching experience, including five as a departmental head.
Molver warns that current recruitment practices allow some candidates to “buy” principal positions, despite being underqualified. The new criteria could help prevent unfit candidates from leading schools, ensuring that principals are chosen based on merit and experience rather than political or financial influence.
Examples of successful interventions
While poor leadership is a challenge, there are proven solutions that can develop more competent principals and improve school leadership nationwide.
One example is the School Leadership Programme, supported by Old Mutual and the Seed Educational Trust. This Stellenbosch University-accredited program empowers principals with leadership skills, personal development training, and mentorship. Upon completion, principals receive an NQF level 7 qualification, equipping them to better manage their schools.
Another effective initiative is Citizen Leader Lab’s flagship program, Partners for Possibility (PfP). This innovative approach pairs principals with business leaders in a co-learning partnership, helping them develop stronger leadership capabilities while addressing school management challenges.
Are South Africa’s principals prepared for the future?
The question of whether principals are fit for purpose or failing learners is not just a critique of individual schools – it is a reflection of systemic issues in school leadership across South Africa. Without urgent intervention, poor leadership will continue to compromise the safety, learning conditions, and future prospects of millions of students.
By implementing stricter qualifications, enforcing accountability, and incentivising principal training, South Africa can develop a new generation of competent, well-equipped school leaders.
Addressing these gaps is not just about fixing individual schools like Wallmansthal – it’s about creating a national framework for educational success, ensuring that every child has access to a safe, well-managed learning environment.
