02/10/2026
🔥 BEYOND THE CLASSROOM — DAY 5 MIDDAY
REFLECTION
WHO HOLDS THE PRINCIPAL ACCOUNTABLE?
This morning we asked a question that we cannot avoid:
WHO APPOINTS THE PEOPLE WHO LEAD OUR SCHOOLS ... AND HOW DO WE KNOW THEY ARE READY TO LEAD?
Let's go deeper.
We talk endlessly about teacher accountability.
But what about school leadership accountability?
A principal is not simply the person who occupies the office.
A principal is expected to lead teaching and learning, manage people, maintain discipline, build relationships, manage resources and create an environment where teachers can teach and learners can learn.
The DBE itself describes effective school management as critical to quality teaching and learning and has linked weak leadership capacity and competence with school dysfunction and underperformance.
So we have to ask:
🚨 ARE WE APPOINTING SCHOOL LEADERS FOR THE COMPLEXITY OF THE JOB — OR SIMPLY FILLING POSTS?
🔥 LET'S TALK ABOUT APPOINTMENTS.
The law provides a formal role for SGBs in recommending candidates for educator appointments, including principals, while the provincial Head of Department has an important role in the appointment process. The recruitment process is supposed to be structured and aimed at identifying competent candidates.
So here's my uncomfortable question:
HOW TRANSPARENT IS THE PROCESS IN PRACTICE?
How do we know the best candidate was selected?
How do we know interviews genuinely tested leadership competence?
How much weight is given to actual experience in managing difficult schools?
How much attention is given to instructional leadership?
How much attention is given to learner safety and discipline?
How much attention is given to managing people?
How much attention is given to financial governance?
And perhaps the most uncomfortable question:
CAN A CANDIDATE INTERVIEW WELL WITHOUT BEING READY TO LEAD A REAL SCHOOL?
🚨 THEN LOOK AT THE SCHOOL AFTER THE APPOINTMENT.
Imagine a school where:
Learners are struggling with discipline.
Teachers feel unsupported.
Classrooms are dirty or poorly maintained.
Learning time is lost.
Learners face substance-abuse risks.
Teachers are attacked or threatened.
Staff relationships break down.
The feeding programme struggles.
The school has little connection with businesses or potential sponsors.
Uniform shortages affect disadvantaged learners.
And academic performance remains weak year after year.
WHO IS SUPPOSED TO BRING ALL OF THIS TOGETHER?
Yes ... the principal cannot solve every problem alone.
But leadership means building a team, identifying problems, mobilising resources, escalating what cannot be solved at school level and creating a plan.
🔥 AND WHERE IS THE SGB IN ALL OF THIS?
The SGB is legally supposed to govern in the best interests of the school and help the principal, educators and staff perform their professional functions. It also has responsibilities involving policy, finances, school property and development.
So I want to ask SGB members directly:
ARE YOU REALLY GOVERNING — OR HAVE SOME SGBs BECOME TOO DEPENDENT ON THE PRINCIPAL?
Do you understand the finances?
Do you interrogate the budget?
Do you monitor whether policies are working?
Do you ask why certain problems persist?
Do you demand a school improvement plan?
Do you know what happens to learners who need support?
Do you know whether your feeding programme is functioning properly?
Do you know what resources your school needs?
And beyond signing documents and participating in interviews:
WHAT IS YOUR VISIBLE CONTRIBUTION TO SCHOOL DEVELOPMENT?
đź’° THEN THERE IS RESOURCE MOBILISATION.
The national 2026/27 allocation includes almost R11 billion for the National School Nutrition Programme, with the programme intended to reach millions of learners.
That raises a legitimate question:
WHEN A CHILD IS SUPPOSED TO RECEIVE A SCHOOL MEAL, WHAT HAPPENS BETWEEN THE BUDGET AND THE CHILD'S PLATE?
Who monitors delivery?
Who reports problems?
Who follows up?
Who is accountable when implementation fails?
And the same principle applies to infrastructure, learning materials, safety and other resources.
A BUDGET IS NOT THE END OF THE PROCESS.
"DELIVERY IS"
🔥 AND HERE IS ONE AREA I DON'T WANT US TO
IGNORE:
BUSINESS AND COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS.
Our poorest schools often serve communities where families are already struggling.
We cannot simply tell parents:
“Raise more money.”
Raise it from where?
But schools also don't have to wait passively for government.
Leadership can mean approaching businesses.
Building partnerships.
Finding sponsors.
Mobilising alumni.
Working with NGOs.
Creating community networks.
Finding legitimate support for uniforms, sport, technology, libraries, learner programmes and other needs.
The current TALIS 2024 South Africa report found that many principals reported limited engagement with community, business and industry partners.
SO ARE OUR SCHOOLS CONNECTED ENOUGH TO THE COMMUNITIES AND RESOURCES AROUND THEM?
🚨 HERE'S THE QUESTION I WANT TO LEAVE WITH EVERYONE:
IF A SCHOOL REMAINS DYSFUNCTIONAL YEAR AFTER YEAR, WHO IS SUPPOSED TO INTERVENE?
Not to punish.
Not to humiliate.
Not to attack a principal.
TO FIX THE PROBLEM.
Because accountability without support is inadequate.
But support without accountability is equally dangerous.
🔥 TODAY'S QUESTIONS
Teachers:
Does your principal create an environment where you can teach effectively?
Principals:
What support do you receive when your school faces serious challenges?
SGB members:
Do you have the training and independence to hold school leadership accountable?
Parents:
Do you know what your SGB is actually doing?
District officials:
What happens when a school repeatedly underperforms?
Education policymakers:
How do we ensure that principal appointments select genuine leadership capacity rather than simply filling vacancies?
And to everyone involved in education:
CAN WE HONESTLY DEMAND EXCELLENT TEACHING WHEN SCHOOL LEADERSHIP ITSELF IS NOT FUNCTIONING?
This is not about attacking principals.
There are many committed school leaders doing difficult work under enormous pressure.
THIS IS ABOUT ASKING WHETHER THE SYSTEM IS SELECTING, DEVELOPING, SUPPORTING AND HOLDING SCHOOL LEADERS ACCOUNTABLE FOR THE JOB WE EXPECT THEM TO DO.
Because ultimately…
A SCHOOL IS ONLY AS STRONG AS THE LEADERSHIP THAT CREATES THE CONDITIONS FOR TEACHING AND LEARNING TO HAPPEN.
🔥 DAY 5 — THE PRINCIPAL.
Beyond the Classroom with Stan Vilakazi
The questions we are afraid to ask.
