COVID-19: Leading in Disruptive Times – Challenges for School Leaders

Since South Africa went into lockdown as a result of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, school principals have been leading in challenging circumstances. A combination of confusing government decisions and advice, compounded by a lack of decision-making by education districts, has resulted in many school principals having to make key decisions on a daily basis, many times being unsure of the support from departmental officials. Principals have had to ensure the continuation of the teaching and learning process even when the schools were closed, in some cases simultaneously developing a viable online systems in order to stay in contact with vulnerable learners and families. School leaders are uniquely positioned to guide families in supporting their children whilst at home during these unprecedented times. For school leaders, this becomes harder as schools serve families across vast geographic areas that may be without access to high-speed internet. How do school leaders lead educators and schools, which are doing their best to function effectively in uncharted territory, where teachers have had to move instruction online? Using a qualitative research approach, this study aimed to determine the challenges faced by school leaders in managing their schools during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic. Five schools in the Nelspruit area of Mpumalanga Province were selected through purposeful sampling. Data collected was categorised by themes and logically organised into workable units to facilitate coding. The findings revealed that COVID-19 has had an impact on principal leadership, challenging them to make decisions beyond their usual scope of management, relating to the feeding of learners, organising personal protective equipment (PPE), finances and online learning platforms.