By George Otieno
Deputy principals who stand out from the crowd have the greatest opportunity to progress in their profession, Kirinyaga County Teachers Service Commission (TSC) Director Dr. Samuel Maragat has said.
Addressing deputy principals from the county in Mombasa during the annual principals and deputy principals meeting, the director said that every deputy principal needs to strategize to grow professionally.
He said they have their destiny in their hands and only those who loved to learn and desired to be something more would be able to break away from the crowd early.
Additionally, to effectively carry out their roles in schools, the director insisted that as leaders, deputy principals needed to master the legal framework of the education sector.
He pointed out policy guidelines that spoke to educationists and other industry players as a must-read for them, as well as the regulations and Acts of Parliament relevant to schools and the supreme law of the country, the Constitution.
“Even as you carry out your duties as per the rules and regulations of the schools, it is significant to know what other laws of the country say about schools and particularly where the constitution has touched on learners and your roles as leaders,” he emphasized.
On earning the respect of learners, Dr. Maragat insisted that despite being principal assistants to the principals, they are first of all teachers earning their reputation in classrooms through teaching and connecting with learners.
He further encouraged them to build their brands and be known for something else apart from teaching and assisting principals.
“As a leader, you must be known both in class and outside. Get engaged in something that you will be remembered for. Publish a book. Be a master in your field. Get into a co-curriculum activity,” he advised.
His deputy Mr. Kige Joseph hinted that deputy principals should at all time stand up and provide leadership.
He emphasized that they should demonstrate their leadership in their current positions rather than wait to become principals.
“If you don’t give leadership in curriculum and teacher supervision now, it will be extremely difficult later,” he stated.
However, he advised those who were too ambitious to be patient, taking note of the penchant to create disharmony especially when their bosses were out of school.
“You must ensure you have a constructive communication between you, the teachers and the principals,” he said.
Mr. Kige added that deputies were the centre around which all school activities revolved, so they should possess skills and abilities to create an effective environment for supervision.
He further encouraged them to always be alert to notice and address some of the challenges facing teachers such as lack of motivation, exposure and orientation, which make them feel misplaced and react by overcommitting their salary to loans.
