The purpose of HoDs

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday February 26, 2024 06:00

This is why there could be some justification as to why any discourse surrounding the performance of a school centres around the work of classroom practitioners and school principals.

When it comes to accounting for learning outcomes, to the subject specialist, the question is, how did the subject fare while the principal must account for the overall performance of a school? It would appear much accountability rests on the shoulders of the principal and the subject teacher and it is not clear where the HoDs are in the equation.

But this is supposed to be a strategic position playing a role in the overall health of a school and therefore what HoDs do and do not do should be subjected to close scrutiny . To put the role of an HoD into a proper perspective, here is a football analogy which I think could shed more light on work of HoDs and the amount of praise and flak they should take based on school performance. In a game of football, there is a star player - usually wearing jersey number 10, strategically deployed in the middle of the park. He is supposed to be a good reader of the game, head of the ‘orchestra’ - masterminding attacks, a good ball distributor and an overall controller of the tempo of the game.

The success or otherwise of the team rests with this key player. The same principle applies well in the context of a school. The position of the HoD, sits somewhere between the school ground troops and the apex. It’s a connector between staff and the school principal. The creation of HoD position was not motivated by a desire to add numbers at the top but it was a purpose driven decision aimed at improving accountability and raising the rigour of instruction. An HoD is the hub of a school connecting staff to management. It has to be someone staff can look up to for guidance and mentorship.

He/she is supposed to have a deep and wide knowledge on matters of school governance, pedagogy and testing. The primary duties of an HoD should include initiating and participating in dissemination of best teaching practices, offering technical support to struggling subject areas while also playing an advisory role to the school principal.

Also there is the humane aspect of things. To thrive and prosper in their responsibilities, teachers require humane treatment. As people, teachers have their own problems, which could affect the way they discharge their duties. Being close to the troops on the ground, HoDs should know their staff well so as to assist in easing their worries and guiding those troubled to navigate whatever circumstances they may face. HoDs are also charged with the responsibility of looking after the well being of students, mainly serving as a link between parents and their children.

Most HoDs’ offices have been reduced to sick bays because when a student is sick, the HoD office is the first port of call. Giving credit where it is due, one can say HoDs are carrying out their student caring functions passionately and with distinction. However, it has been observed that offering support on student welfare issues appears to be taking a huge chunk of their time, leading to a benign neglect of other key responsibilities. Efforts should be made to strike a balance between academic pursuits and welfare matters.

Being the engine of the school, HoDs must rise to the challenge and be counted. They should assume a greater accountability for what is going well and not going well in a school. While a school principal cannot outsource accountability, it is unfair for the principal to take the whole flak for the under achievement of a school. Other players in the management structure, especially HoDs, should receive their fair share of the responsibility.