THE MANIFESTATION OF THE NEOLIBERAL DISCOURSES IN THE LEADERSHIP PRACTISES OF HEADMASTERS IN RURAL SCHOOLS

1. THE MANIFESTATION OF THE NEOLIBERAL DISCOURSES IN THE LEADERSHIP PRACTISES OF HEADMASTERS IN RURAL SCHOOLS Japie Spies

2. What? • This research addresses the question: “how the neo-liberal discourses manifest in leadership practises of headmasters in rural schools.”

3. Why? • The powerful neo-liberal discourse puts exceptional demands on leadership practises in schools. • The role of headmaster are being redefined in struggles over policy and practice.

4. HOW? • I focus on how the neo-liberal discourses manifest in the leadership practises of the headmaster in rural schools: • This paper investigates the inter relationships between policy, leadership and governance in schools • and how it manifests in the leadership practices in schools. • The focus is on how leadership identities and practices are produced and shaped through discourses on policy and governance in schools • And how leadership practices can respond to such policy and governance discourses.

5. HOW? • It focuses on Foucault’s concept of governmentality • and the critical angle it provides for an analysis of neo-liberalism, • and the application of the conceptual lenses of field, habitus, economics and practice of Bourdieu • Using : Phenomenology as research design • An approach which attempts to understand the hidden meanings and the essence of an experience together with how participants (headmasters) make sense of these (Grbrich 2007:84)

6. HOW? • And Constructivism: As Theoretical Paradigm • (Nature of reality) • The world is constructed and experienced by people (headmasters) in their interactions with each other and with wider social systems (rural schools) • (Nature of knowledge) • Knowledge is about the way in which people (Headmasters of rural schools) make meaning in their lives, not just that they make meaning, but what meaning they make

7. The Neo-liberal discourses Neo-liberalism is a theory (Harvey 2006:145): • “human well-being can best be advanced by entrepreneurial freedoms within an framework of private property rights, individual liberty, free markets and free trade. • The role of the state • Markets • State interventions in markets must be kept to a bare minimum (Harvey 2006: 145).

8. The naturalising effect of neo-liberalism • became part of the way of thinking and the logic (Read 2009:25). • Established as a global set of rules. • dominant force in forming education through policy (Rizvi & Lingard 2009:22) • produces policy that is based on five values: the individual, freedom of choice, market security, laissez faire and minimal government (Larner 2000:7)

9. Neo liberalism as governmentality • Foucault’s notion of governmentality addresses both the practices, and the rationale by which these practices appear ‘normal’. • In looking at the modern state, Foucault developed the terms ‘biopower’ and ‘biopolitics’ (Foucault 1991: 73). • biopolitical governmentality includes al forms of control measures of individuals were they are regulated according to the rules of maximum economy. (Hamman 2009:41)

10. The Headmaster: habitus, field, practice and capital • I use Bourdieu’s work to think of the interplay between the practices of headmasters, each with a particular habitus, working across a number of fields with different power structures, hierarchies of influence, and logics of practice. • Rawole & Lingard (2008:730) suggest that when Bourdieu talks of practice, he indicates three interconnected associations, namely: • the carrying out of a activity, • the naming of a process and • to differentiate from theories about practice

11. Findings of my research • The decentralized decision-making powers that the South African Schools Act (SASA) of 1996 delegates to schools manifest in different ways in the different rural schools in one town: • The effective functioning of School Governing Body (SGB), depends on the social- and culture economics of the members of the body. • Section 20 gave basic management powers to all schools, and schools that had the capacity to manage their own budgets were given additional Section 21 capacity. • The practice of school fee relief puts a lot of pressure on Section 21 schools.

12. Findings of my research • Schools did acquire more decentralized decision-making powers. • There is an increase in the use of evaluation and quality control measures. • Schools (headmasters) have to organize themselves according to targets, indicators and evaluations and are held accountable for the results. • The headmasters make use of a variety of practice practice to cope. • As a result of school choice there is a lot of pressure on X model C schools in rural areas.

13. Created: 2011/02/22 12:08:29 AM (Super) • Codes (3): [SKOOLHOOF AGTERGROND] [SKOOLHOOF ONDERVINDING] [SKOOLHOOF OPLEIDING] • Quotation(s): 13 • ______________________________________________________________________ • P 2: O1:SH1:SV:LS:JS:M:O - 2:32 [Ekwil met u geselsooruself...] (134:135) (Super) • Codes: [SKOOLHOOF AGTERGROND - Family: SKOOLHOOF PERSOON] • No memos • Die eerstejaarhetek dit reggekrydatek in Oudshoornkon begin. My liefde vir musiekhetgemaakdatek , omdatOudtshoorn-kollegenieMusiekhetnie, het dit gemaakdatekoorgeplaas is na Bellville kollege toe. en daarhetek my musiekuitgelewe. En hierkomek toe in aanraking met my hoof - hydoen toe syderdejaar. Hysoek toe 'n Musiek-onderwyser. En ekdoenaansoek. Daaijaarhetek net aansoekgedoen vir die een pos en ekkryhomook toe. En dit is waarek tans is vanaf 1983. • P 2: O1:SH1:SV:LS:JS:M:O - 2:34 [So u het in 1983 hier begin. W..] (137:139) (Super) • Codes: [SKOOLHOOF ONDERVINDING - Family: SKOOLHOOF PERSOON] • No memos • So u het in 1983 hier begin. Wanneerhet u skoolhoofgeword? • Ekhet begin waarneem 11 Oktober 1996 en is amptelikaangestel 1 Januarie 1998. • So dit is so 13 jaargelede.

14. Code Families • HU: HU1 • File: [C:\Users\Spies\Desktop\HU1.hpr6] • Edited by: Super • Date/Time: 2011/03/12 05:24:13 AM • ___________________________________________________________________ •  Code Family: FINANSIES • Created: 2011/02/21 11:12:28 PM (Super) • Codes (7): [FINANSIES FONDSINSAM] [FINANSIES SKOOLGELDE] [FINANSIES STAAT] [OUERS EKONOMIESE KAPITAAL] [SHOOF UITDAG FINANSIES] [SHOOF VAARDIG FINASIES] [SKOOL FINANSIES] • Quotation(s): 18 • ______________________________________________________________________ •  Code Family: GEBOUE EN TERREIN • Created: 2011/02/21 11:13:05 PM (Super) • Codes (3): [SKOOL FISIESE BEHOEFTES] [SKOOL GEBOUE] [SKOOL TERREIN] • Quotation(s): 15 • ______________________________________________________________________ •  Code Family: KAPITAAL EKONOMIES • Created: 2011/02/21 11:16:40 PM (Super) • Codes (8): [FINANSIES FONDSINSAM] [FINANSIES SKOOLGELDE] [FINANSIES STAAT] [OUERS EKONOMIESE KAPITAAL] [OUERS INKOMSTE] [SHOOF UITDAG FINANSIES] [SHOOF VAARDIG FINASIES] [SKOOL FINANSIES] • Quotation(s): 24 • ______________________________________________________________________ • Code Family: KAPITAAL KULTUREEL • Created: 2011/02/21 11:16:57 PM (Super) • Codes (5): [LEERDERS GEL/GES] [OUERS GELETTERDHEIDVLAK] [OUERS KULTURELE KAPITAAL] [PERS SKOOL OPLEIDING] [SKOOLHOOF OPLEIDING] • Quotation(s): 16 • ______________________________________________________________________ • Code Family: KAPITAAL SOSIAAL • Created: 2011/02/21 11:17:11 PM (Super) • Codes (1): [OUERS SOSIALE KAPITAAL] • Quotation(s): 0 • ______________________________________________________________________