Female Principals’ Experiences in the Governance of Rural Schools

Abstract The aim of this paper is to explore the experiences of female principals in the governance of rural schools in South Africa. The argument is presented that little has been documented about the experiences of female principals in the governance of rural schools in South Africa. Apart from a literature review on female leadership in schools, the paper reports on a study in which empirical investigation was used to obtain information from female principals about their experiences in the governance of rural schools in South Africa. The findings indicated that female principals experience problems such as sexism, discipline and absenteeism among teachers and learners. The study further on revealed that some female principals lacked school governance skills. Consequently, the study is concluded by the submission that it is essential for female principals to be given necessary training so that they can have working knowledge of school governance activities.