parents and principals as partners in creating a culture of learning

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*Communicator. Good communication skills are essential for effective school
practice. Principals spend the largest part of their time communicating in many
different ways with staff, pupils, education departments, parents and the broader
community.
*Evaluator. The principal needs skills for evaluating and monitoring general
school processes. He has to do staff appraisals and monitor pupil performance on
a regular basis.
*Counsellor. A principal is expected to be able to counsel staff, pupils and
parents on a variety of matters. This involves recognising and understanding
needs and problems, listening, giving advice, making recommendations and solving
problems.
*Public relations officer Public relations and marketing are becoming important
features in a principal's job. Principals have to be able to communicate the
school's policy and educational aims to the community as a whole. With
competition among schools on the increase, principals have to be able to actively
market their schools.
3.3.3 Essential Leadership Tasks for Effective Schools
Principals are required to fulfil a number of leadership tasks. Research on
effective schools has produced numerous types of leadership behaviour leading to
the attainment of high academic achievements. Some of the most important tasks
that have been identified include the following (Theron & Bothma, 1990:85-91;
Blairs, 1992:30; Lemmer & Squelch, 1994:13-14):
*Emphasis on achievement An important feature of an effective school is the
attainment of high academic achievements. The principal who is ultimately