The principal is the chief architect of a school

Tshwarelo Hosia | Monday August 17, 2026 06:00

The whole school ecosystem rests on his or her shoulders. Nonetheless, a school is a demanding and trouble prone institution which cannot be powered by a single engine. A one engine school is a fragile and limping institution destined to fly into some certain disaster.

The role of each organ of a school is of paramount importance in its continued survival and prosperity. The treasury is the defender of honesty and integrity when dealing with finances, the class teacher as the first point of contact with the student in the classroom theatre identifies crisis and manages them before spiraling out of control.

The cleaner creates an environment where shared spaces can be enjoyed by all with dignity and respect.

Not to be left behind are the men and women in uniform. Theirs is a life and death responsibility and it is worth spending a little more time on them. The usual duties are to man the gate and inspect visitors and cars getting into the school premises. Not only is security responsible for keeping the school perimeter walls watertight and safe, but also it should be the custodian of instructional time.

By and large every department should be aligned with the purpose and vision of a school. Hitherto the so-called non teaching departments are treated as additional entities and not as central figures in the academic battles.

Security in particular if aligned correctly could be the first line of defence for the mission and purpose of a school. If there is anything schools should change is movement of security from the periphery into the heart of a school. Immersing the security into academic battles should be a key priority.

The men and women in uniform when engaged should not only be equipped with a torch, knobkerrie and uniform but should undergo induction on the academic matters. The message should be to keep watch without ceasing as alertness preserves instructional time.

Security men and women should first thing in the morning greet each student by name, conduct searches, if need be, respectfully and have the right emotional intelligence required to deal with students attempting to test the waters. They should know how to detect signs of trouble, sudden changes in the behaviour of students, spot signs of drugs and distress. Men and women in uniform can save instructional time by firmly and politely saying no to a student who tries to exit the school premises without official sanction. Unauthorised exits can lead to discipline issues which may distract the school from its instructional core.

Learners should understand that they cannot get in and out of school as they please without consequences. Discipline is important and there is an intimate link betw

A porous school perimeter fence means anything can find its way into school and this could make the students vulnerable to corrupting influences from the external world.

Another important change with regard to security would be raising the recruitment bar. Screening of potential security officers should be thorough leaving nothing to chance. It should begin with a background check on history with children gauging positive attitudes towards children as well as communication abilities.

Full integration of the security into the academic life of a school would be evidenced by continuous engagement with management and staff on how best the security can do to save instructional time and prevent potential incidences that could steal teaching and learning opportunities. At the end of the day men and women in uniform should be assisted to take their rightful place as custodians of instructional time. The integrity of the pedagogical space should not solely lie in the hands of one single entity.

Every division should have a dog in the fight for a pedagogically focused school. No single entity should watch from the stands.

But it takes good leadership to harness the potential of every member of the school learning community to achieve improved student learning outcomes.

The work of security is a life and death situation. Any lapse of concentration on the part of security could result in loss of instructional time as well as placing the safety of the school community in jeopardy. Men and women in uniform should be ever vigilant.

They too deserve some modicum of respect. And when respected enough as custodians of pedagogy they would reciprocate by offering their best selves to the school. To further facilitate the men and women in uniform to play their role as enablers, investments should be put not only in their training but also in changing the perceptions of students and staff towards security.

Security should not be seen as an organ that asks questions without cause or simply delaying movements. When security is seen in a new light as a protector of the values a school stands for, perceptions would shift from negativity to a warm embrace. The security should be included in the school organogramme so that it graduates from its status as an add-on.