Skoolklimaatskepping as bestuurshandeling van die departementshoof opvoedkundige leiding

Abstract

In one school the principal and staff work vigorously and purposeful with the result that they experience a great deal of satisfaction. On the other hand dissatisfaction among the teachers at another school is almost tangible. These feelings of satisfaction and dissatisfaction rub off onto the pupils of such schools, and have a positive or negative influence on the pupils' results. The amount of satisfaction experienced by a school community, as well as the productivity maintained, reflects the "spirit" or climate that exists in the school. The creation of a positive climate in a school greatly depends on the spirit of openness and accessibility existing among both pupils and teachers. This entails that the members of a school community care for each other and that they accept co-responsibility for problems. With regard to the creation of a positive climate in schools it is important that the needs of both staff and pupils are recognised and that they experience security. This can be brought about by effective management, which means in fact, that creating school climate is primarily the task and responsibility of the principal and his managing team, of which the departmental head educational guidance is a member. Creating a climate in a school is done within the framework of the outlook on • life of the person who has to perform the managerial task of creating a climate and also by means of the managerial areas he is responsible for. Chapter three of this study deals not only with what school climate encompasses, but more specifically the creation of a positive school climate based on Christian Calvinistic perspectives. (Chapter two) Chapter four contains indications of how the departmental head educational guidance can perform the act of creating school climate as an act of management by realising the determinants of school climate and the areas of management he is responsible for. The creation of a school climate is often done in a hapazard manner. For this reason chapter five contains a method to guide the educational leader (i.e. the departmental head educational guidance) in planning the creation of school climate in a purposeful manner. The study is concluded in chapter six with a synopsis, findings, conclusions and recommendations.