In South African schools, especially those located in under-resourced townships and rural communities, the quality of leadership often determines whether a school thrives or fragments. In too many cases, however, principals and members of the school management team behave as though teachers work for them personally, rather than recognising that all educators are public servants, employed by the state to serve learners and communities. This distortion of leadership creates unnecessary tension, fosters low staff morale, and ultimately compromises the success of learners.
According to the South African Schools Act (1996) and the Employment of Educators Act (1998), teachers are employed by the state. They are accountable not to the principal personally but to the Department of Basic Education, the communities they serve, and the South African Council for Educators. Principals are not owners of the institutions they manage; they are expected to lead through collaboration, consultation, and care. Their responsibility is to create an environment where teaching and learning can flourish, not to exert personal control or act as an authoritarian figure.
When school leaders misunderstand this role and begin to adopt an “I am the boss” mindset, the consequences are severe. This type of leadership often results in micromanagement, where teachers’ autonomy is stifled and their professional judgement disregarded. It can also lead to the suppression of differing viewpoints, the promotion of cliques and favourites, and the marginalisation of staff members who are perceived as critical or “difficult”. Such environments are not only toxic but ultimately unsustainable. Over time, they breed burnout, resentment, and resistance to innovation and disengagement among both teachers and learners.
This is not speculation. Research from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD, 2019) confirms that schools with strong staff collaboration tend to perform significantly better. Moreover, educational researcher John Hattie (2015) has identified collective teacher efficacy, the belief among teachers that they can positively impact learners, as the single most important factor in student achievement. Conversely, studies such as those by Tshabalala and Mapolisa (2013) have directly linked toxic school leadership to low morale and poor learner outcomes. When leaders create environments of fear, division, or exclusion, they actively undermine the very goals of public education.
To transform this situation, we must reimagine school leadership as a practice rooted in service, not status. Effective school leaders understand that their influence depends not on authority but on credibility and trust. They create spaces where teachers feel heard, valued, and empowered. They engage with their staff as colleagues and collaborators, not as subordinates. They actively protect a school culture that is inclusive, transparent, and focused on learner success. This kind of leadership is in line with the Batho Pele principles, which emphasise people-first service delivery and accountability to the public.
The way forward lies in targeted leadership training that prioritises empathy, emotional intelligence, and the capacity to build strong, resilient teams. Principals must be clear about their role as managers within a public system, not private CEOs. Teachers should be empowered to lead initiatives, contribute meaningfully to school development plans, and offer constructive feedback on policies. District offices and provincial departments should also play an active role in monitoring the organisational climate of schools, ensuring that management styles promote a healthy and collaborative work culture. Collaboration and shared leadership should be recognised and rewarded as key performance indicators in school improvement efforts.
Ultimately, a school is not a fiefdom, nor should it ever resemble one. It is a public institution, built to serve the children of our nation and the communities they come from. No leader, no matter how long they have served or how much authority they wield, has the right to treat public servants as personal property. If we are serious about improving education in South Africa, especially in our most vulnerable communities, then we must be equally serious about nurturing leaders who serve, not rule.