parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning
parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning
parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning
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[ 46 1<br />
This means that the giv<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> experienc<strong>in</strong>g <strong>of</strong> mean<strong>in</strong>g are always matters <strong>of</strong><br />
norms <strong>and</strong> values. S<strong>in</strong>ce the adult already underst<strong>and</strong>s <strong>and</strong> lives these norms <strong>and</strong><br />
values, he h<strong>as</strong> someth<strong>in</strong>g to ·show <strong>and</strong> tell" the child regard<strong>in</strong>g them. But this<br />
show<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong> tell<strong>in</strong>g must take place with<strong>in</strong> a dialogue between the adult <strong>and</strong> the<br />
child <strong>and</strong> not a monologue directed at the child by the adult. If the pedagogic<br />
relationship structures <strong>of</strong> trust <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g have been adequately actualised,<br />
the adult can appeal to the child to listen to <strong>and</strong> respond to the authority <strong>of</strong> these<br />
norms <strong>and</strong> values. At the same time the child, because <strong>of</strong> his helplessness, IS<br />
appeal<strong>in</strong>g to the adult for normative guidance (Kruger (ed.), 1992:55).<br />
The source <strong>of</strong> pedagogic authority accord<strong>in</strong>g to Van Rensburg, L<strong>and</strong>man &<br />
Bodenste<strong>in</strong> (1994:511) is not <strong>in</strong>vested <strong>in</strong> the adult <strong>as</strong> such, but <strong>in</strong> his observance<br />
<strong>of</strong> the norms <strong>and</strong> values to which the adult is committed. These norms <strong>and</strong> values<br />
are exemplified to the child by the adult's word <strong>and</strong> deed <strong>in</strong> a trust<strong>in</strong>g <strong>and</strong><br />
underst<strong>and</strong><strong>in</strong>g way. In this manner with<strong>in</strong> the relationship <strong>of</strong> authority, the child<br />
experiences ·sympathetic <strong>and</strong> authoritative guidance·. The establishment <strong>of</strong><br />
authority <strong>as</strong> one <strong>of</strong> the major <strong>as</strong>pects <strong>of</strong> all education <strong>and</strong> every education action<br />
is so paramount that Du Plooy, Griessel <strong>and</strong> Oberholzer (1992: 107) believe that,<br />
if authority <strong>and</strong> unsympathetic, yet authoritative guidance are lack<strong>in</strong>g, adulthood<br />
can never be atta<strong>in</strong>ed. This would clearly <strong>in</strong>dicate that the relationship <strong>of</strong> know<strong>in</strong>g<br />
<strong>and</strong> the relationship <strong>of</strong> trust are pre-eonditions for the existence <strong>of</strong> the relationship<br />
<strong>of</strong> authority (Kilian & Viljoen, 1990:171; Griessel, Louw & Swart, 1993:138<br />
140).<br />
3.3 THE ROLE OF THE PRINCIPAL AS A SECONDARY EDUCATOR<br />
Accord<strong>in</strong>g to Marx (1981:57) all persons occupy<strong>in</strong>g supervisory posts are engaged<br />
<strong>in</strong> managerial activities regardless <strong>of</strong> either the hierarchic levels at which such<br />
persons are employed or <strong>of</strong> the nature <strong>and</strong> scale <strong>of</strong> the t<strong>as</strong>ks <strong>as</strong>signed to them.
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