Developing a Formal Induction Programme for Newly Appointed Departmental Heads to Manage the Transition Period: A Guideline for South African Public Schools

In South Africa, there is a general agreement among main stakeholders about the significance of teacher induction, and a well-defined policy objective by the government to commence a process of teacher induction. Lamentably the intent of the government is proceeding at a slow pace, and with no attention given to the induction of newly appointed Departmental Heads (DHs), let alone a formal induction programme to address their transition. The current article aimed to confer attention to the newly appointed DHs by developing a formal induction programme to manage the transition period and address their continuing professional development. Setting sights on contributing to a national policy direction that will prioritise the induction of newly appointed DHs. To achieve the goal, the semi-systematic review was assumed as a research methodology to synthesise, process and analyse evidence regarding the induction programmes of newly appointed DHs and was underpinned by Khumalo’s Deputy Principal Induction Model. The semi-systematic review revealed that generally there is little evidence of the presence of induction programmes in Sub-Saharan African countries. South Africa is not exempted. Newly appointed DHs complained about the challenge of being promoted without knowledge of their respective functions, and this could be attributed to the lack of proper induction. The lack of induction for middle leaders may aggravate what is at present a confronting responsibility and result in poor learner achievement. It is recommended that the Department of Basic Education (DBE) reconsider and come up with a national induction programme that also includes other members of the School Management Team, namely, DHs and deputy principals. The article expands the static knowledge base on the induction of middle leaders.


INTRODUCTION
Since 2005, teacher induction has been documented as a main concern by the South African government.A South African Department of Education report stated that every new teacher should be required to participate in a formal induction programme for at least 2 years. 1 Almost two decades later this goal is yet to be realised since no formal induction programme has been implemented in South African public schools.It has been reiterated that the Integrated Strategic Planning for Teacher Education and Development, (ISPFTED) policy drafted by the DBE and the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) called for teacher induction a well-defined comprehension of their roles and responsibilities, and a need for a reduced work overload. 11onsequently, and in response to the exceeding findings, the current article endeavours to develop a formal induction programme to thoroughly prepare the newly-appointed DHs prior to taking up the role.This will be done in consideration of what the meagre existing literature has also established pertaining to the induction of middle leaders globally.The researchers regard induction as a significant process that may assist newly appointed DHs to cope with a transition and become effective leaders of the curriculum and teachers.Middlewood and Abbott are in consensus and bring to light two core reasons why induction is essential. 12The first is to 'enable the new staff member to achieve a good level of performance as quickly as possible'; secondly, the purpose is to 'enable the school to be able to retain them as long as possible and desirable to both the person and the school.'  The Gauteng Provincial Department of Basic Education Vacancy Circular 04 of 2023 advertised among other promotional posts, 1192 departmental head positions, similarly other provinces would advertise as and when there are vacancies available.If all goes accordingly, the prospective DHs should assume their duties at the beginning of the third quarter according to the South African public schools calendar.Concerningly there has never been a formal induction programme to rope in the newly appointed DHs in South African public schools.Despite scholars such as McGeehan who maintains that structured induction programmes have been among the most prominent international approaches to assist and retain newly appointed employees. 13oreover, induction is a critical necessity which will enable the state to fulfil its obligations regarding equitable and quality education for learners. 14he current article aims to bridge this gap and develop a formal induction programme for newly appointed DHs before they assume their new role as a guideline.Results from Bassett's study confirmed that 33 per cent of middle leaders consider they are not adequately trained to perform their role as departmental leaders or do not feel equipped with the requisite skills. 15Middle leaders from the same study also felt that they learnt their role through trial and error, rather than through formal planned leadership development.The lack of induction for middle leaders may aggravate what is at present a confronting responsibility and result in poor learner achievement.
Yet again, in the view of Khumalo, the absence of a targeted induction programme can have far-reaching negative implications for staff development at a school. 16Therefore, the DBE needs to adequately prepare DHs to deal with the challenges they may face during their initial management years, and a formal induction programme may help to shape initial school-leadership practices and build networks through which the DHs can share their concerns.Besides, middle leaders are, in effect, critical leaders of learning and they should be prepared as such, Fluckiger, et al. 17 The findings of the study are presented subsequently.

LITERATURE REVIEW
Different names are being used to refer to teachers who are leading other teachers, and in the South African school setting, they are referred to as departmental heads, Personnel Administrative Measures. 18In Tanzania and Ghana, they are referred to as heads of department, 19 and in Australia and New Zealand they are referred to as middle leaders. 20For this current article, the terms departmental head and middle leader are used interchangeably to refer to teachers who are leading other teachers.Gurr and Drysdale define middle leaders as those people who have formal responsibilities and duties of leadership and management and sit between senior leadership and teachers. 21The definition ties in well with how school management teams are structured in the South African basic education sector.The senior leadership positions incorporate the principal and the deputy principal and are both labelled, Executive Management Team (EMT) as they form an essential part of the Senior Management Team (SMT). 22Consequently, the term middle leader will exclusively refer to a departmental head and not a deputy principal.
Literature reveals that slow progress is being made to coordinate, formalise, and implement induction in South African public schools.In 2017 the DBE published and disseminated New Teacher Induction: Guidelines for Orientation Programme booklets.Again in 2020, the DBE launched a field test for a New Teacher Induction (NTI) programme, VVOB. 23The field test is taking place in one district each of the Northwest, Kwa-Zulu Natal, and the Free-State Provinces to finalise the long overdue induction programme for a national rollout.During the awaited implementation, the newly appointed DHs remain excluded from the envisioned national programme.As far as the researchers could establish, they found no formal induction programme implemented to address DH support needs within the South African context.The lack of a formal national programme may be attributed to the stance taken by the South African DBE that views induction as a process relevant for BT in the teaching profession. 24It is the aim of the current article to confer attention to the newly appointed DHs by developing a formal induction programme to manage the transition period and address their continuing professional development.Emsley and Thaba-Nkadimene are in support of the induction programme and maintain that DHs should preferably attend an induction course, as they may come across difficulties during the transition from post-level one classwork activity management, to becoming post-level two managers. 25n the view of Fluckiger, Lovett, Dempster and Brown, a formal induction programme may help to shape initial school-leadership practices and build networks through which the DHs can share their fears. 26After evaluating a middle leadership development programme in the United Kingdom, Thorpe and Bennett-Powell advocated for the inclusion of a more formal induction for DHs in managing people and leading teams, time management and prioritising demands in the role. 27Gurr and Drysdale pinpoint that the accomplishment of DHs is reliant on how their roles are constructed coupled with their capacities, capabilities, and attitudes. 28According to the scholars, this construction necessitates a package of support which would incorporate "induction, coaching, mentoring, teaming, formal and informal training, and a supportive performance management programme." 29A view that is upheld by Bush, Rhodes and Brundrett. 30arious scholars, further contend that to comprehensively prepare newly appointed middle leaders, they should preferably attend an induction programme to become adapted to the role they are in. 31Because of that, the researchers assert that induction remains an important practice that should be developed and implemented by schools to mitigate the shortcomings of the newly appointed DHs.Dias-Lacy and Guirguis, agree, and caution that induction programmes must be well-facilitated and adapted to the specific needs of schools before they are initiated or implemented. 32Accordingly, Khumalo, called for the DBE to invest in a specific, tailormade induction programme to address the DH's unique needs. 33Based on the above assertions, the current article may contribute to a national policy direction that will prioritise the induction of newly appointed DHs and propel a DHs formal induction programme national roll-out.
In South Africa, there is a general agreement among main stakeholders about the significance of teacher induction, and a distinct policy objective by the government to commence a process of teacher induction. 34amentably the intent of the government is proceeding at a slow pace, and with no attention given to the induction of newly appointed DHs, let alone a programme to address their transition.Gurr and Drysdale posit that middle leadership has not captured the desired research interests it deserves, and the researchers opine that it includes among others, the scarcity of literature on the induction programmes of the newly appointed DHs. 35 view reinforced by Lashway, who affirms that induction programmes are insufficient to have generated a significant body of empirical research, but there is emergent literature that enunciates a basis for such programmes. 36To this end, the current article relies heavily on the inundated studies that focused on the induction of BT and BP to locate the relevance of our enquiry.
Many countries provide leadership training for newly appointed school leaders, even though most are voluntary.To demonstrate, in Great Britain countries such as England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland induction is one of the pieces of training provided for newly appointed school leaders. 37In Oceania and Australia, government departments arrange induction to usher in school leaders to their work. 38A similar induction is also offered in Slovenia from the Balkans, as well as in Hungary, Keuren, Silova and McAllister. 39n a similar way, in the United States, more than half of the 50 states now demand that new school leaders be given some form of induction support. 40To this end, the above-collected works succinctly corroborate a claim made by Wong, Britton and Ganser, almost a decade ago, that considerable literature on induction is written from a United States (US) and European viewpoint. 41The current article aims to change the narrative by presenting the South African perspective to increase the knowledge base in relation to the development of formal induction programmes for newly appointed DHs.
A report by Keuren et al. found that largely, the occurrence of induction programmes was dwindling in developing countries, although Brazil and Mexico confirmed the opposing drift, with occurrence climbing between 2008 and 2013 by 20% and 15% respectively. 42In a similar report, in 2010 an Indonesian induction was linked to the certification process as a probationary period for new teachers.Conversely, studies conducted by Robinson and Taylor and Keuren, et al., discovered that in general there is little evidence of the presence of induction programmes in Sub-Saharan African countries. 43It is for this reason, that Kitavi, recommended the implementation of the beginning principal's induction programme to face unique problems ascribed to the educational system's failure in Kenya. 44Along the same vein, Ajowi, Simatwa & Ayodo, undertook a study of headteachers, DHs and new teachers in 3 districts in Kenya. 45They found that there was a lack of systematic induction processes for newly appointed teachers and DHs, however, it has been observed that principals undergo two weeks of induction long after assuming their roles.The programme proposed by the current article is intended to set off a week prior to the newly appointed DHs assuming their roles.Correspondingly, Akech's mixed-methods study revealed that education stakeholders in Tanzania had minimal awareness of the induction programmes for newly appointed teachers. 46Dishena, called for quality induction programmes to be placed in Namibian schools to support BT instructional growth. 47he literature above confirms the lack of induction programmes for newly appointed DHs.The scarcity is further demonstrated by Makafane, who while investigating the role of the induction and mentoring process of BT in Lesotho, revealed that DHs and principals are unaware of how others carry out their work in terms of induction and mentoring in their departments and schools. 48The results laid bare the unpreparedness of school leaders and the lack of a coordinated approach to providing induction.
On the local shores, a study conducted by Legotlo in the northwest province of South Africa to determine the problems of BP confirmed the need for an induction programme for new principals to learn the ropes. 49Furthermore, in a study conducted by Christie and Monyokolo in Kwa-Zulu-Natal township schools in South Africa, newly appointed DHs complained about the challenge of being promoted without knowing their functions, and they attributed that to the lack of proper induction. 50Experienced DHs from the same study corroborated the challenge and further confirmed that the DBE did not arrange any induction programmes for newly appointed DHs, which was a major flaw in preparing them for their roles to induct BT.
The foregoing further expounds on the absence of induction programmes for newly appointed DHs, let alone advocacy.The researchers therefore urge that the DBE needs to re-consider and come up with a national induction programme that also includes other members of the School Management Team, namely, DHs and deputy principals.They have been ignored by policymakers and leadership and management scholars.However, the current article takes note of an induction programme for the professional development of newly appointed deputy principals by Khumalo, 51 and the development of the induction model for deputy principals in various South African school contexts. 52 study commissioned by GDE to research and develop a leadership development framework for school leadership teams (principals, deputies and heads of department) in South Africa confirmed a need for a formal induction.53 Locally there are no formal induction programmes for BT, let alone DHs.As a result, the implementation of induction is not standardised in South Africa, because BT does not receive induction uniformly.54 This has led to Daniels describing BT induction in South Africa as a school-to-school initiative that is often described as "patchy, uncoordinated, and informal".55 To further demonstrate the uncoordinated trend of conducting induction, literature revealed that some provincial educational departments and organisations have unilaterally developed their own induction programmes that are teacher-centric and uncoordinated.
For example, Inclusive Education South Africa 56 has developed a teacher induction program for new teachers, with a primary focus on inclusion and inclusion practices in education; Free State Department of Education (FSDOE), offered a teacher induction programme which included orientation and in-school mentoring by DHs which was mandated. 57In addition to that, Jet Education Services reported that Matthew Goniwe School of Leadership and Governance developed an induction programme for both newly qualified and newly appointed teachers. 58This further confirms the lack of a proper and nationwide induction programme for all newly appointed DHs.
Estrict denotes induction as a formalised programme that often involves mentorship (but is not narrowed to mentoring) and includes a variety of activities for DHs such as orientation sessions, mentorship, collaborative and developmental workshops, and programmes designed to support and help DHs transition into the leadership setting. 59On the other hand, Dishena asserts that induction could also be denoted as initiation, introduction, guidance, and support within the teaching profession. 60As a result, the definition of the concept 'induction' is aligned with the above characterisations.The definition of an 'induction programme' is derived from Legotlo and Kitavi, who described it as a well-structured inclusive professional development plan, with lucidly enunciated aims designed to develop, among newly appointed DHs, the knowledge, skills and attitudes and values needed to perform their roles successfully. 61The researchers conceptualised the 'formal induction programme' as an officially sanctioned and coordinated process through which newly appointed departmental heads are inclusively familiarised with the roles and responsibilities of their work to easily manage the transition period.

THEORETICAL FRAMEWORK
The current article adopted the Deputy Principal Induction Model proposed by Khumalo (DPIM). 62The DPIM was developed based on the induction needs of deputy principals that came to light from the results of a study of 157 DPs who participated in a survey on the difficulties undergone and competencies required by DPs.By the same token, the induction programme developed by the current article is constructed on the foundation of a qualitative study by Mahome et al., where the greater need brought to light by the six participants was the need for a proper induction for newly appointed DHs to manage transition period and address their developmental needs. 63The DHs form an essential part of the SMT and consequently, the adopted model was considered suitable to inform the induction process aimed at assisting DHs to cope with the transition.To perfectly fit the purpose, a few sub-phases of the model were altered to precisely address the development of a formal DHs induction programme.The DPIM is heavily underpinned by Middlewood and Abbott's framework which lists seven steps that constitute the phases of a holistic induction process. 64The DPIM consists of three main phases, namely the pre-service, induction and continuing professional development.The DPIM proposed by Khumalo is illustrated below. 65

Fig 1.1 Deputy Principals Induction Model
Pre-service phase According to Khumalo, the sub-phases that make up the pre-service phase include the recruitment, selection and appointment of the newly appointed DP. 66 For the objective of the current article, only two phases of the model will be adopted, namely the induction and continuing professional development phases.The first phase, the pre-service, is excluded because the focus is on the DHs who are already appointed and on the verge of assuming their role.In other words, they have long passed the recruitment and selection stage.

Induction
Khumalo maintains that induction is a critical phase of the DPIM.He further posits that when put into operation, induction attempts to achieve the goals of orientation, remediation and socialisation of newly appointed leaders. 67The roles and responsibilities of the DHs at schools are wide, and the newly appointed DHs need management orientation to be familiar with the core duties and responsibilities of the job. 68Orientation means to become familiar with the circumstances, it is the process of informing employees about job expectations and helping them to cope with the stress of transition. 69Hence it is the intention of the developed induction programme to acquaint newly appointed DHs with the middle-leadership dynamics prior to assumption.This is done to minimise confusion and fear, and in the main provide new appointees with a sound start.
Ajowi et al. and the Centre for Development and Enterprise advised that orientation alone is not sufficient to induct newly appointed DHs into their new managerial position, yet contend that orientation can provide an initial dose of intensive support. 70The DBE on the other hand highlight that orientation should lay the foundation for the broader induction of DHs. 71Hence orientation forms a vital part of the induction programme developed.Within the setting of the current article, the orientation goal is attained when the new DHs are provided with information about the culture, policies, and processes of their new school, as heightened by Khumalo. 72Moreover, Bussolari and Goodell, advised that transition processes are characterised by disruption and transition management is critical to ease efficacious adaptation to new situations. 73n remediation, the DPIM aims to tackle shortcomings that could manifest themselves because of a lack of management training or experience on the side of the newly appointed DHs.Given the focal point of the current article, Khumalo upholds that remediation by means of compensatory training for newly appointed DHs can contribute towards developing their skills and lessening their glitches. 74In the concrete, appraised literature has revealed that most of the newly appointed DHs lacked proper managerial training.Therefore, it is the objective of the programme through the remediation step of induction not only to rectify but also to minimise and prevent such shortcomings.
Socialisation is when a co-worker informs the new employee about the workplace, it is usually unplanned and can be unofficial. 75The socialisation step of induction entails anticipatory, professional and organisational socialisation. 76The anticipatory socialisation will not form part of the induction programme since the DHs are not expected to learn about their role from a distance as indicated by the DPIM.Professional socialisation within the setting of the current article refers to how DHs are socialised into the new role and how they are learning about the professional dimensions of the position.It also includes learning about the core duties and responsibilities of the DH. 77

Continuing Professional Development
Induction lays a foundation for what lies ahead in terms of the roles and responsibilities of newly appointed DHs.Therefore, induction becomes a basis on which continuing professional development should be built.Induction is not continuous, but a process that has a timeframe to introduce and prepare new employees to manage the transition in their new job.Hence continuous professional development as the third phase of the DPIM remains a significant part in the development of DHs induction programme.In the main, on its outlined nine stages for the proposed teacher professionalisation path in South Africa, SACE has induction as a fourth stage, leading to continuing professional teacher development. 78hat being said, Khumalo argues that the use of mentoring can help newly appointed DPs learn the ropes as soon as possible and adapt to the culture of their new school. 79On that account, the developed induction programme aimed to take the newly appointed DHs through mentoring because mentoring is frequently incorporated into the induction process. 80What is more, school-based mentors are crucial to components of the induction, imparting definitely formidable encouragement on work gratification and retention. 81The involvement of mentors assists in honing the continuing development of DHs and can provide constant feedback.
To that end, Khumalo maintains that feedback during continuing professional development is crucial to determine if the goals that had been set have been achieved. 82Moreover, DPIM recognises the need for DPs to participate in professional learning that is continuous since they may not acquire all the skills at once, and the acquisition of skills should be an ongoing process. 83Similarly, this relates to the newly appointed DHs since they are not expected to be familiar with all that their role requires at the time of transition.Henceforth, through the never-ending learning process and the involvement in Professional Learning Communities (PLCs), the DHs may acquire the necessary skills.Literature has demonstrated that PLCs support the social aspects of induction, as well as providing platforms for further training and reflection. 84

METHODOLOGY
The semi-systematic review also known as the narrative review was assumed as the research methodology.The choice of methodology was twofold; firstly, semi-systematic reviews have a crucial function in continuing education because they provide readers with up-to-date knowledge about a specific topic or theme. 85Secondly, the methodology was reckoned fitting in providing an overview of the literature on the development of a formal induction programme for newly appointed DHs.Besides the aim of overviewing a topic, a semi-systematic review looked at how research within the middle leadership arena has progressed over time and how a topic of DHs induction has developed across research traditions. 86The semi-systematic review's main objective is to provide the reader with a comprehensive context to understand existing knowledge and to emphasise the value of new research. 87Undeniably, the induction of newly appointed DHs has taken a back seat, let alone the development of programmes that seek to prioritise the induction of these middle leaders, rendering the current article valuable.
Since semi-systematic review articles have no scheduled research question or definite search strategy, only a topic of interest, Demiris, et al., restricted studies that describe the induction of school leaders were identified and synthesised, to fulfil their purpose. 88Therefore, the need for a formal induction programme for newly appointed DHs was unearthed from the empirical investigation conducted by Mahome et al., backed by limited results from the review of the literature. 89Owing to the insufficiency of empirical studies that address the induction of newly appointed DHs, the current article relied heavily on the inundated studies that focused on the induction of BT and BP to locate its relevance.However, the adequacy of the semi-systematic review was maintained by complying with the succeeding three criteria: the selection of the sources, summary and analysis of the literature, and the relevance of the literature to the current article. 90In the end, a formal induction programme for newly appointed DHs in South African public schools was developed.

Departmental Heads Induction Programme
Based on the persuasive results of the empirical study by Mahome et al. and the appraised literature, the DHs formal induction programme was developed as a guideline to ease the newly appointed DHs transition. 91A three-week programme aimed to deal with job-specific induction issues that relate directly to new DHs' core duties and responsibilities, departmental expectations as well as specific policies and procedures that govern the department.As the main outline of the programme, it seeks to prepare the newly appointed DHs to stand out in the required performance standards of the position as outlined in the Occupational Specific Dispensation, (OSD) and the South African Employment of Educators Act, of 1998. 92The DBE and EEA, envisage the DH to engage in class teaching, be responsible for the effective functioning of the department, supervision of teachers, and organise relevant extracurricular activities. 93The researchers therefore maintain that the programme may assist in preparing DHs to meet the required performance standards.
They followed the approach suggested by Britton et al., labelled, 'the school as learning organisation approach.' 94In this approach, the school has full responsibility for supporting the newly appointed DHs.Makafane is of the view that for the induction programme to be a success, a strong and supportive instructional leader is needed. 95Hence the principal, and the SMT as instructional leaders are encouraged to play an active role in the induction programme's effectiveness and realisation.Essentially, the role of the principal is vital in supporting in-school induction programmes.Along these lines, the proposed formal induction programme is presented below, with the sub-phases italicised for emphasis.

INDUCTION PROGRAMME FOR DEPARTMENTAL HEADS
Developed by: Authors.

Implementation of the Programme
Bondesio and De Witt caution that new staff members do not have 'homogeneous needs', and their induction will thus not be the same. 96As a result, schools are encouraged to first establish the needs of the new DH and tailor an appropriate induction process based on the proposed programme.The programme is designed for the South African schooling context; however, it may be implemented in various settings globally since there are similarities in how middle leadership is represented.Chapter A of PAM, states the objectives of the DH job as follows; 'Responsible for the effective functioning of the department and ensure that the subject and the education of the learners is promoted in a proper manner.' 97 To attain the aim of inducting the newly appointed DH to the job, the SMT (principal, deputy principal, experienced DH) should ensure that the programme is timeously implemented to ease the transition period of the new DH, with the school principal playing a supportive role for the success of the programme.The school-based mentors may also include the senior and master teachers respectively.Depending on the availability of resources, a deputy principal may be assigned to deal with the administration part of the position whilst an experienced DH or senior teacher focus solely on the curriculum.To mainly capacitate the DH with subject knowledge especially where the DH is expected to manage more than one subject.
The researchers subscribe to the assertion of Sharita and the South African Norms and Standards for teachers that a DH must be a master specialist with deep subject knowledge and able to manage teachers and subjects in relevant grades. 98However, the way the subjects are grouped in the basic education sector, there are instances where DHs may be compelled to manage the subjects that are not within the field of their speciality.Given that scenario, the school must ensure that the DH is adequately supported in this regard so that the schooling of the learners is fostered in an appropriate manner.Managing more than one subject may result in managing a substantial number of teachers.
To ease the work overload, subject heads may be appointed to support the DH if the assigned mentors do not possess the necessary subject expertise.Peer and expert support may be highly suggested and recommended for this purpose.The duties and responsibilities of the job are individual and varied, depending on the approaches and needs of the school.However, the following core duties and responsibilities of the DH should be emphasised, teaching, extra & co-curricular, personnel and communication as enshrined in Chapter A of PAM. 99These core duties are often called the non-negotiables in South African basic education circles.Since the current proposed programme is an in-school induction, schools may align the programme based on their needs and challenges.This also speaks to the phases and sub-phases to be included, their length and duration, but the researchers advise that activities should not be compressed so that proper induction is provided to the new appointees.Furthermore, the appraisal of departmental teachers remains significant, accordingly, the DH should be trained and prepared on how class visits are conducted.To provide support for continued growth, the school's QMS coordinator must also take the newly appointed DH through how teacher appraisal and performance monitoring are conducted leading to the CPTD management system.Both the QMS and CPTD have common features in terms of the teacher development aspect. 100The development of leadership behaviour and practice is life-long, continuous and contextual. 101To sustain the development, newly appointed DHs also have a role to play in making their development and the programme a success.
To supplement what the school has offered, the researchers suggest that DHs attend continuous workshops, seminars, and quarterly cluster subject meetings organised by the provincial district to hone their skills and keep up with evolving challenges.They assert that an extraordinary degree of professional ethics must be upheld and maintained.It is therefore critical that DHs take part in professional development activities that furnish them with the realisation and competencies needed for respectable professional discussions with their colleagues, as heightened by Mthiyane, Naidoo, and Bertram. 102This speaks to the formation of DHs support clusters where common problems and good practices are shared.

RECOMMENDATIONS
In South Africa, newly appointed DHs put forth complaints pertaining to the challenges of being promoted without knowing their functions, and they attribute that to a lack of proper induction.The DBE has not provided any formal induction for newly appointed DHs, which is a major flaw in preparing them for their roles to induct BTs.The DBE should reconsider and come up with a national induction programme that also includes other members of the School Management Team, namely, DHs and deputy principals.Principals and deputy principals must play a critical role during the DHs initial management years, particularly in the three main phases: pre-service, induction and continuous professional development.It is further recommended that the national induction programme be made compulsory for all newly appointed DHs across South Africa.

CONCLUSION
In South Africa, there is a general agreement among the main stakeholders about the significance of teacher induction, and a well-defined policy objective by the government to commence a process of teacher induction.To this course, no formal induction programme has been implemented in South African public schools even where plans have been put into place to realise its commencement.Although induction programmes do not always necessarily guarantee success, they remain significant and may assist newly appointed DHs to cope with transition and become effective leaders of the curriculum. 103Moreover, through induction newly-appointed DHs get to grips with their new position and commence effortlessly.Therefore, the proposed induction programme has endeavoured to contribute to a national policy direction that will prioritise the induction of newly appointed DHs.With the aim of thoroughly preparing the newly-appointed DHs prior to taking up the role.

STRENGTHS AND LIMITATIONS OF THE PROGRAMME
The strength of the programme is that it is targeted at both public primary and secondary schools.It addresses all the core duties and responsibilities of the position since they are both similar according to the two levels.However, there is a limitation when it comes to the management of the curriculum, where the programme guides only the DHs in secondary schools on how to manage numerous subjects.Within the South African basic education sector, in primary schools, DHs are leading phases comprising various learning areas, not subjects, as they are branded, therefore, guidance should also be provided across the spectrum.To this end, the programme remains relevant to both DHs in primary and secondary schools because it is not rigid and can be tailor-made and aligned to meet the curriculum management needs of DHs and that of the schools in primary settings.

FURTHER RESEARCH
Large-scale research that focuses on other SMT members such DHs and deputy principals to address the development of formal induction programmes should be undertaken.The empirical evidence currently available is inadequate.Further induction programmes should also respond to the needs of DHs based in schools of Learners with Special Educational Needs (ELSEN).
for 23 years and acted as a HOD for commercial subjects for 3 years.She was appointed to a permanent position at Tshwane University of Technology in 2008.Promoted as a Senior lecturer in 2016.In 2019, she was promoted to Associate Professor and as an HOD for GET heading both Foundation Phase and Intermediate Phase.She published 22 articles in accredited journals.She has presented articles locally and internationally.