Principals get to be pupils

Principals became pupils during a school-management training course held at Souci Girls High School.

The training on Saturday was run by the Progressive Principal’s Association (PPA) for novice and deputy principals.

“ In the majority of cases, newly appointed principals are not fully prepared for the enormity of the task and responsibilities they have to assume in their new position, especially the pitfalls,” said PPA spokeswoman Anthea Adriaanse.

Nearly 100 principals from schools across Cape Town took part in the training that included presentations by experienced principals.

Sans Souci principal and PPA treasurer Ruschda O Shea spoke about financial management. “Many schools don’t have financial managers or bursars, so I shared my tips and experience of financial management, what the procedures are, the do’s and the don’ts,” she said.

Golden Grove Primary principal and vice president of the PPA Dawn Petersen spoke about school administration management. “I made sense of this by using a blueprint of what must be put in place by which the schools are measured by,” she said.

Brent Walters, the incoming superintendent general of the Western Cape Education Department, was the guest speaker. “I think that the sharing of best practice with novice principals and deputy principals is to be applauded and supported,” he said.