The principal as entrepreneur in the management of schools

M.Ed.In South Africa, after 10 years of democracy there exists a number of good schools, with excellent facilities producing very positive academic outcomes. At the same time, however, there are also a number of schools that are patently dysfunctional, employ very poor academic practices and achieve very poor academic results. Financial resources allow learners to fully participate in their education. With sufficient financial resources, which are effectively and efficiently managed, schools are able to provide learners with access to textbooks, technologically advanced facilities and among others, motivated educators that are able to provide special attention to learners’ needs. Funding therefore, and the allocation and management of resources are key mechanisms to addressing existing disparities in South African schools. Although the South African government has a responsibility to provide for public schools out of funds appropriated for this purpose by the provincial legislature, these funds are insufficient for schools to deliver quality education purported in the policy documents. As a result, additional school funds have to be raised to supplement the state’s contribution. Thus a huge need exists to entrepreneuralise the practice of educational management. School principals embracing the entrepreneurial spirit, with respect to the management of their schools, have the ability to make a massive contribution to the overall economic well-being, development and growth of their respective schools, and in so doing realise educational transformation. A quantitative study was used to establish the perceptions of educators and principals regarding what it means to be entrepreneurial in the management of schools. Items to measure variables that emerged as important determinates of what principals can do to use entrepreneurship to improve the management of their schools, was constructed and compiled into a questionnaire. The results of the research point to a number of challenges concerning the entrepreneurial capacity of principals in the effective, efficient and economic management of their schools. Among others, it was found that leadership and management skills are critical success factors to entrepreneurial success. In addition to this it was also found that a school does not need to run like a business for the process of entrepreneurship to be successful, but that it does, however, require a paradigmatic shift in the thinking of school managers. From the empirical research it was found that current principals do in fact have the attitudes and abilities common in entrepreneurs, which implies that potentially, principals are able to engage in entrepreneurial activities, however, this is not converted into a reality