The social justice imperative in transforming a secondary school

Abstract

The thrust of education policy and legislation in South Africa points to a quest for democracy, equity and social justice throughout the education system. Notwithstanding, research suggests that different stakeholders experience schools as socially unjust and marginalising in some way. This article reports findings of a follow-up qualitative case study of one purposively sampled Soweto secondary school. The study sought to explore the principal's social justice leadership strategies which account for the school being perceived as democratically transformed and socially just. Data were collected through a series of in-depth semi-structured interviews and observations. Data analysis followed Tesch's steps for open coding. Findings suggest that the principal's personal values and commitment to social justice principles account for his resilience in the face of resistance and systemic barriers. The principal's social justice leadership practices and barriers that he encountered are outlined.