As schools become increasingly regulated and complex learning environments, the burdens on a school’s leadership team also increase. A school executive team has to navigate more varied and complex laws in a changing school environment in which technology such as social media has an enormous impact. Given the legal and managerial expectations of the executive team, in particular a school principal, it is unsurprising that the Sydney Morning Herald has reported that some Catholic schools are recruiting principals who do not have a background in secondary school education.

Leadership roles in modern schools

In order to run a non-government school effectively, expertise is needed in education, business management and legal compliance. Principals are required to have at least a reasonable understanding of a diverse range of subject areas that range from workplace health and safety, employment law and the curriculum. As the number of responsibilities of principals increases, so does the pressure placed on them. We have reported in the past that the wellbeing of principals has decreased due to an increase in work hours, emotional demands and bullying conduct from parents: More than 1 in 3 school leaders have experienced physical violence in 2015.

Whilst many principals are experts in education due to a career spent teaching, it is less likely that they will be experts in financial matters or in legal compliance. It may be more useful to see education as just one of several important areas of required expertise, and to accept that all members of the leadership team will have different strengths when it comes to the management of schools. If this is the case, the idea of hiring a principal from the private sector becomes an understandable and potentially desirable strategy to ensure that the principal has the necessary skills to meet their increasingly legal-focused role.

Recruiting principals

The Catholic Education Diocese of Parramatta has revealed that it is considering managers from private sector companies as candidates for jobs as principals. The Diocese’s executive director of schools, Greg Whitby, told the Sydney Morning Herald that the priority was to recruit a candidate with the entrepreneurial and people skills necessary to effectively manage innovative learning environments. This may involve looking beyond candidates that have worked within schools to those who have worked in other related industries such as the training or tertiary sector.

Given the difficulty many schools have in recruiting principals, this could be an effective method of ensuring that the candidates are able to adjust to the role of principal once they are hired. The role of the principal is often business focused, with an emphasis placed on people management and strategic planning. If the role is changing, some schools are concluding that traditional priorities in the recruitment process must also change. Principals with more extensive management or legal experience may be just as suited to the role as career teachers.

The importance of effective recruitment strategies were discussed in an article republished on our site: The cost of losing a school principal and how to save your school the pain. One of the core recommendations in this article is to ensure the careful selection of and training of board members. Given the vital support role an effective board can play, the job of the principals can be made more effective if board members “commit to learn and grow in the role, to take advice and guidance, and to demonstrate the capacity to work effectively as a team with other directors and management”.

Role of volunteer board members: the UK approach

Apart from the school executive team, an important source of expertise within the school should be the school board. Often, the board is made up of volunteers from the wider school community who make decisions in relation to important matters of school governance. Boards play a vital role in the running of the school and can be a valuable resource for the executive team, as board members can come from a range of industries and provide important perspectives. Board members with legal or financial expertise can often be extremely useful in evaluating options from a different angle to that of teachers or school managers.

The UK Education Secretary has proposed that boards be comprised of professionals with expertise in key strategic areas, as opposed to reserving places for parents. The Guardian reports that this proposal has caused division, as parents have complained that this will lead to a lack of consultation and community involvement within the school. However, in a context like Australia’s non-government school system where principals and schools are directly accountable for compliance in areas such as workplace health and safety, privacy laws and employment law, the presence of experts who are able to assist schools with their compliance objectives could be extremely useful.

Some States and Territories already prescribe this approach in their non-government school registration requirements. For example, the WA Guide to the Registration Standards and Other Requirements for Non-government Schools 2016 states that “where possible, the governing body should include a member with business and financial expertise (that is, a member of a recognised accounting body, an experienced bursar, or person with a history of working in finance in another capacity)”.

School leaders moving forward

It is clear from recent reports that principals in Australia feel they are under too much pressure. A possible solution could be to accept that expertise must be divided among school leaders and that principals should not be expected to be experts in every area of the school. In addition, schools should look at the skills necessary to be an effective principal and evaluate whether their current recruitment tactics are overly restrictive. In addition, schools should also refer to their relevant State teacher registration legislation regarding whether or not principals are required to be registered teachers.