The multi-skilled head

'School leadership' - A monograph by Christopher Bezzina, published by the Malta Society for Educational Administration and Management

This is the first monograph that the society has published. As signalled in the paper, educational management in the 1990s has been influenced by the business or corporate model, with an emphasis on cost effectiveness and accountability in terms of staff appraisals and quality assurance systems.

During the 1980s and 1990s, many schools across the Commonwealth have experienced radical reforms and restructuring. I agree with Bezzina (2000) that the restructuring of schools does not necessarily improve the teaching and learning. It is the reculturing which has the greatest impact on teaching and learning, when all the stakeholders such as the students, the teachers and the parents are involved in the process of organisational change.

These structural and systemic changes have resulted in the changing role of the head of school who is now required to be multi-skilled, juggling the roles of a business manager and educational leader. The long list of traits and capabilities of a school head listed in this monograph is daunting: sensitive and inspiring (Fullan, 2001), authentic, honest and trustworthy (Bezzina, 1999, 2002 & Duignan,1998) and morally responsive to their environment (Sergiovanni, 2001). The head is also expected to be a 'culture builder' (Barth, 2002; Fullan, 1995), the 'lead learner' (DuFour, 2002), the 'change agent' (Fullan, 2001) and the 'principle-centred leader' (Covey, 1989).

An important question that arises in the monograph is whether all of the heads appointed in Malta have the required skills, the abilities and the time to exercise all of these roles. The monograph suggests that no one head can do it alone, as leadership is not a one person activity. It requires a collaborative approach with careful relinquishment of power and delegation to appropriate staff (Day, Harris and Hadfield, 1999; West-Burnham, 1992).

It is refreshing in this monograph to see the return in emphasis to human relationships: the head as an authentic leader, the importance of collegial relationships and collaboration in the school community and attendance to the organisational culture of schools.

This publication provides for current and aspiring heads in Malta an excellent and comprehensive overview of leadership theories and the managerial qualities of effective leaders during the past two decades. The reader is left in no doubt that if staff in a Maltese school, from the head down to the beginning teacher, feel valued, share a vision, have the opportunity to work collaboratively using their particular skills and abilities, have regular ongoing professional development, then, motivation, innovation and commitment will be enhanced.

Congratulations to the Malta Society for Educational Administration and Management for publishing this monograph which will contribute to the ongoing professional development of school heads not only in Malta but also across the Commonwealth.