State education director Datu Abdillah Adam presents a book to Fatimah. — Photo by Jeffery Mostapa
KUCHING: School principals have been asked to focus on instructional leadership and not just administrative leadership.
Chief Minister Tan Sri Datuk Amar Adenan Satem said based on international research, school principals who did so managed to produce 20 per cent more excellent students.
He acknowledged that the responsibilities and roles of school principals have become more complex and challenging.
“To achieve the right direction of producing future generations that are of calibre, knowledgeable, hi-tech, competitive, skilful, having high moral values, and are able to contribute towards the development and the progress of the nation,” he said in a speech during a dinner for 530 school principals from across the country on Tuesday.
He stressed that the success of the Malaysia Education Blueprint (2013-2025) would depend greatly on the heads of schools.
His speech was read by Minister of Welfare, Women and Family Development Datuk Fatimah Abdullah.
Adenan said apart from being instructional leaders, school principals should also have empathy and must be capable of managing the tasks assigned.
“Be considerate, be humane and be able to implement responsibility together in an organisation. This is a good practice that can increase management qualities,” he added.
The principals are here for the four-day 53rd Meeting of the National Education Management of School Principals, which ends today.