The leadership styles of school principals in selected schools in Ermelo district

M.Ed.The purpose of education management studies is to help managers of different schools manage schools better. Education management studies emphasise utilising people, resources and available methods as effectively as possible in order to achieve organizational objectives. In the case of a school situation, proper management should be able to help a school principal, deputy principal, the heads of departments within the school, parents, learners and all stakeholders that have an interest in the running of a school. This means that school management should not only be looked at as a principal's only show but as a collective effort for all that are engaged in the running of the school. This therefore calls for the consideration of including all stakeholders when management programmes are designed This study was conducted to ascertain the extent to which management guidelines are adopted and followed in the daily running of different schools. What should be noted is that for schools to run effectively, the task of school management should be regarded by school managers as necessary and relevant. Foiled didactic activities become evident where no proper management guidelines are being followed in the daily running of the school. Foiled didactic situations may result from situations where school are run without structured management plans. School managers should note that proper management and proper planning, being part thereof, forms a solid foundation for a proper didactic situation. Some schools do have management plans which are never followed. if these plans are followed, to a limited extent, there is no consistency. Plans specific a certain direction to be followed and this should be followed consistently. No plan should be structured and just be left on paper. This study has proved that properly managed schools produced desired results. Schools that perform unsatisfactory need to produce, adopt and follow their management plans. All education managers should note that their management plans and strategies need to be changed and adapted to the ever changing world of education since the educational world is never static