Education systems are under growing pressure to adapt to the demands of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. However, while many countries have shifted towards 21st-century learning (21CL), South Africa’s school leadership pipeline remains rooted in older, administrative models.
A recent study of private secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal highlights a critical gap: school leaders are expected to drive transformation, but are not being trained to do so.
The 2023 article by Michael Dean Edmund Naidoo, titled ‘Optimising school leadership development for 21st-century learning: An in-depth analysis of South African private secondary schools in KwaZulu-Natal’, shows that 75% of school leaders in the province lacked formal leadership qualifications, while most training focused on administration rather than transformation.
The problem: Leadership development lags behind reform
Twenty-first-century learning is learner-centred, inquiry-based and tightly linked to digital technologies. It requires schools to rethink not just what they teach, but how they operate. School leadership is central to this shift. Leaders shape strategy, manage change, and translate policy into practice when leadership is weak or misaligned, reform lags.
But the study finds that leadership development in South Africa is not keeping pace. While global evidence shows that countries investing in leadership training are more successful in implementing 21CL, South Africa has not made similar investments. Crucially, leadership is still not treated as a specialised profession. School leaders are typically appointed based on teaching experience and seniority, rather than formal leadership training or qualifications.
What the research shows: Training is widespread, but misaligned
The study draws on data from 25 private secondary schools and a mix of surveys, interviews and focus groups. The findings are consistent and clear:
- Most school leaders lack formal training – 75% did not hold a qualification in leadership or management.
- Training exists, but is fragmented – 66% had attended courses, but many described them as inconsistent or ad hoc.
- Content is largely administrative – training focused on management tasks, not leadership skills needed for transformation.
- Promotion is not based on leadership ability – seniority and teaching performance remain the primary criteria.
While many respondents rated existing training as “good”, interviews revealed a gap between perceived usefulness and actual relevance. Much of the training equips leaders to manage schools, not to transform them. Importantly, training specifically aligned to 21CL was described as limited or absent.
The missing piece: Leadership for 21st-century learning
The research highlights a disconnect between what schools need and what leaders are taught. Globally, four leadership approaches are closely associated with successful 21CL reforms:
- Transformational leadership – driving change across people, practices and structures Strategic leadership – setting a clear vision and aligning resources to it
- Systems leadership – managing interconnected parts of the education system
- Ecological leadership – understanding relationships within schools and their wider context
These approaches enable leaders to integrate technology, support teachers, and manage complex change. However, these leadership frameworks are largely absent from formal training programmes in South Africa. Even where elements exist, they are not explicitly linked to the demands of 21CL. As a result, school leaders are navigating digital transformation without the conceptual tools or practical support to do so effectively.
Implications: A system designed for management, not transformation
The findings point to a structural problem: leadership development in South Africa remains too theoretical, administrative and optional – and it is disconnected from the realities of 21st-century schooling.
Even flagship programmes such as the Advanced Certificate or Diploma in Education include relevant elements, but stop short of preparing leaders to lead systemic change. Without capable leadership, investments in curriculum reform, technology or infrastructure are unlikely to deliver sustained improvements in learning outcomes.
What needs to change
The study suggests a clear direction for reform:
- Make leadership training compulsory – formal qualifications should be required for school leadership roles.
- Shift the focus to leadership, not administration – training must prioritise strategic, transformational and systems thinking.
- Design explicitly for 21CL – programmes should directly equip leaders to manage digital and pedagogical change.
- Invest in continuous development – leadership learning must be structured, ongoing and practical.
Ultimately, school leaders need to be equipped not just to run schools, but to redesign them.
South Africa’s transition to 21st-century learning will not succeed on curriculum reform alone. It will depend on whether the system produces leaders capable of driving change. Right now, the evidence suggests it does not.
