School principal as a manager

Abstract

The article focuses on the role of a school principal as a manager, which is important and desirable from the perspective of the institutions running the school, in relation to high (in their point of view) expenditures from the budget intended for education. According to municipal authorities, the ideal principal of the educational establishment is the principal who is able to reduce the school’s expenditures and acquire additional funds. Other goals, such as didactic, educational and protective shall be placed at a later point. The starting point of discussion is a review of literature (or the concept) on the role of the school principal of educational institution. The first chapter contains a definition of management functions: planning, organising, motivating and controlling. The second chapter presents different approaches to people management styles, such as: autocratic, democratic, liberal, authoritative, paternalistic, consultative and participatory. The third chapter describes the process of decisionmaking and the conditions for its effectiveness in the school environment. The fourth chapter concerns the strategic planning and related processes of strategic management or management by objectives. The final chapter presents information on the management of human resources at school, consisting of planning and meeting the needs of staff through the recruitment, selection of employees to suitable positions, introducing them to work, the process of training and professional development, evaluation, promotion, transfer, dismissal after the assessment of their work. However, the summary contains the synthetic approach to the tasks and the characteristics of a good, "manager of education" and the prospects of the creation of management structures adapted to the needs of the school.