Managing school success: A case study from Pakistan

This article reports on case study research into the management of successful schools in a developing country, Pakistan. In Pakistan there are attempts being made to improve school education through decentralisation and involving school communities through School Management Committees. Whilst serious problems remain in the provision of quality school education, there are nevertheless, some successful schools and the research sought to identify three such schools and investigate how and to what extent the management of the schools was contributing to their success. In the article a case study of one of the schools is reported along with the findings from the cross case analysis of the three schools. The findings reveal that management strategies and techniques are a necessary, but not sufficient, condition for school success. Perhaps just as important are the personal qualities of the person who is principal