8/3/2019 EMSA-Abstract Final Draft
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Do school administrative clerks staff contribute to
management practices?
Practice in selected WCED schools
Educational management and leadership (EML) studies tend to only
focus on those
individuals in and around schools that have formal management
and leadership
responsibilities like principals, heads of departments (HODs)
and members of the
school governing body (SGB). There has been a somewhat neglect
of those who are
not part of the formal group like administrators, bursars,
secretaries and office
managers, but who also contribute to the management and
leadership vision and
operation of their schools.
Data from a qualitative study done as part of a broader
evaluation study on behalfof the WCED (do you require their
permission?), are analyzed with regard to the
practices of the school administrative staff. The qualitative
study consisted of semi-
structured interviews with three administrative clerks from
different schools, their
principals and members of the school governing body. In addition
three focus group
sessions were conducted with more than 12 administrative clerks.
The data were
analyzed using a practice perspective (Schatzki, 2006) which
tries to cross the
agency vs. structure divide and the individualist vs. societal
divide to analyze
practices amongst individuals within a context.
The results show that due to impact of decentralization and
school based
management,with the increasing administrative demands are (due
to impact of
decentralization, i.e. the relevant post 2000 context worldwide)
being placed on the
principal. Thus the principal , he/she is delegating
responsibilities to the deputy-
principal, senior teachers and the administrative staffclerks.
This has lead to
administrative clerks tasks being broadened to include
management and
leadership practices (and activities??).
The administrative clerk is generally involved in basic tasks of
data recording,
storing and data management. Some of them fulfill the function
of bursar and are
responsible for managing the flow of money, keeping records,
collecting money and
letting the SGB know what the state of the school finances are.
Some of them evenmanage the tasks of the cleaning staff. Thus, at
the very least they can be seen as
lower managers or first-line managers. (says who??).
We (who is we??????) you have to say is it Aacademics,
goveducational officials and
other education stakeholderst. etc etc) have to change our their
view of EML in
schools to embrace the current practices of administrative
staff, as well as the
potential role they may play in the sound management and
leadership of schools
