Reflections on Principals’ Leadership Practices in Deprived Schools: A Case of the Amathole East Education District
Ntsika Dyantyi 
& Thobeka Ncanywa
Issue: Vol.5 No.6 Issue Article 7 pp.876-886
DOI: https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2024567 | Published online 7th June, 2024
© 2024 The Author(s). This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
This study aimed to provide reflections on the leadership experiences of school principals on leading and managing in the deprived context of the Amathole East Education District. The study thus employed a qualitative research approach coupled with an in-depth exploratory examination of the reflections of five principals in their leadership roles. The findings indicated that school principals encountered a lack of support from the government, a lack of funding and infrastructure, a lack of parental involvement, and many socio-economic issues. The study recommended that schools should be provided with additional resources and funding, community partners, and mentorship, and should design activities that engage parents and the wider community in the education process. This study contributes to scholarship by deepening understanding of the complexities of leading and managing in deprived educational contexts by offering actionable recommendations for enhancing educational equity and quality in such settings. It serves as a valuable resource for policymakers, educators, and researchers seeking to address the persistent challenges faced by schools serving disadvantaged communities.
Keywords: Principal leadership roles, Deprived schools, Governments, Infrastructure, Parental Involvement, Socio-economic Issues
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Ntsika Dyantyi serves as a Lecturer in the Department of Business Management Education within the Faculty of Education at Walter Sisulu University. His expertise lies in Educational Leadership, Management and Policy imperatives, particularly within the realms of higher education and secondary school settings. He actively engages in international research conferences, contributing to the discourse on educational management practices. He also holds memberships in key university committees such as the Faculty Learning and Teaching Committee, Curriculum Transformation Committee, and Research and Higher Degrees Committee. Additionally, He is a valued member of the Entrepreneurship Development in Higher Education (EDHE) under the community of practice, where he contributes to initiatives aimed at promoting entrepreneurship development in higher education.
Thobeka Ncanywa is a full Professor of Economics in the Department of Business Management Education at the Faculty of Education at Walter Sisulu University. She has expertise in the field of Applied Economics, Public Sector Economics, Monetary Economics, Development Economics, Econometrics, Micro-Economics, Education Economics, Macro-Economics, and Entrepreneurship studies. She has been involved in teaching and learning, community engagement activities, publications, and supervising postgraduate students (total of 40). She has published 26 articles in local and international journals, 17 conference proceedings, and 5 book chapters. She has also chaired sessions at academic and non-academic conferences. She is a board member of Economic Research of Southern Africa, and International Public Administration and Development Alternatives. She has been involved in projects such as student entrepreneurship development in higher education and a multidisciplinary project on resilient futures in transforming the mining sector. She is a leader in the research niche area for “Sustainable Development and Contemporary Issues in Society and Education” at WSU.
Dyantyi, Ntsika & Thobeka Ncanywa. “Reflections on Principals’ Leadership Practices in Deprived Schools: A Case of the Amathole East Education District,” E-Journal of Humanities, Arts and Social Sciences 5, no.6 (2024): 876-886. https://doi.org/10.38159/ehass.2024567
© 2024 The Author(s). Published and Maintained by Noyam Journals. This is an open access article under the CCBY license (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).
