parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning

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Every person in the teaching profession who is charged with duties involving
organisation and decision-making, leadership and policy formulation is in fact
engaged in management, which entails the initiation and maintenance of dynamic
interaction that could lead to more effective education and teaching (De Witt,
1993:8).
The principal is dependent on teachers to help him pursue his vocation and
management is necessary and present wherever someone is in control of people's
activities and wants to direct those activities by offering guidance towards the
attainment ofcollective goals. Seen in this light, according to Van der Westhuizen
(ed.), (1995:46), management includes the thought and action applied by
supervisors towards dealing with problems and professional stress, towards finding
solutions and making decisions.
The principal's function is not exclusively confined to educational management,
however. Since he is the leader in a school, management is only one of his many
tasks, and it would therefore be a mistake for him to act the part of an educational
manager plain and simple. Constant vigilance is required to guard against
overemphasis of school management at the cost of all other leadership activities
(Van Schalkwyk, 1994: 14).
3.3.1 The Principal as an educational leader
The fact that a person is referred to as an educational leader automatically implies
that he is in charge of a particular kind of organisation - a school. It also implies
that he offers guidance to the teaching staff and the pupils of his school as well as
to the parents and other parties concerned, and that his guidance is calculated to
bring out the best in every facet of education and teaching (De Will, 1993:9).