The Great Game: Pacific Islands Style
Rattling a stick inside a swill bucket

The ethics that create a great school

BORANA BONNEY

Keith_and_A_School_Kundiawa
19-year old Keith Jackson and the complement of his Kundiawa Primary A School, 1964


WESTERN HIGHLANDS - Leading and operating educational institutions inevitability pose ethical dilemmas which represent a constant challenge for leaders because of the great variety of issues encountered daily.

It was stated by Mihelič (2010) that “values have a profound effect on a leader’s performance”.

Simply put, ethical leaders are guided by personal moral convictions that fuel their motivation and inspiration in decision-making.

Educational institutions, however, are governed by policies, guidelines, processes and rules that insulate their operation.

In this context, with a personal moral compass, ethical leaders should understand that their decision-making is vital for an institution’s growth and development.

Such ethical leadership should not diminish the managerial obligations of the institution although, as Saiti & Arar (2022) wrote, ethical dilemmas may result from a leader’s moral values contradicting those of the educational institution or vice versa.

In the end, it is the principals’ and administrators’ decisions that either make or break a school’s culture and deteriorate or build integrity when confronted with ethical dilemmas.

It was Keddie (2016) who affirmed that integrity is based on three values: public ownership, equity and public purpose.

The implication is that the governance of the institution must serve the interests of the people, funding for student admission must be adequate, and the moral and social purpose of education should be of the uttermost concern and prioritised.

According to Kutsyuruba & Walker (2014), professional ethical issues predominantly occurring between the administration and teachers involve arguments about teaching load, scheduling, evaluation, supervision, breaches of confidentiality, miscommunication, backstabbing, gossiping, personality clashes, physical and verbal abuse, stealing, misuse of resources and dishonesty.

Attention to good communication, ethical behaviour, fair resource allocation and effective financial decision-making are considered critical factors to ensure the smooth progress of an organisation.

The schools must have a clear vision and goals and, as Mugala et al (2023) have highlighted, agreed personal and professional norms and accountability at all levels of the administrative hierarchy.

Financial decisions and resource allocation should first consider the goals of the institution with respect to stakeholders’ interests and values.

Those decisions should align with the vision and goals to achieve the quality teaching and learning that every school needs and every student deserves.

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Paul Oates

Leaders are readers. If there are no books, how do young learn?

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