Social justice leadership: a tribute to Kadir Beycioglu

ABSTRACT This article is a tribute to Kadir Beycioglu, a Turkish academic who passed away prematurely in August 2021 due to a terrible illness. His death was met with a deep shock and great sadness by all who knew him. The different sections of this article summarise his influential work in the field of educational leadership and social justice and invite the reader to take a brief journey through his relentless struggle to improve the rights of children and youth, both in his home country and abroad. The text discusses the pillars underpinning social justice and the steps to be taken for its implementation in schools. The article relies on the principle that every child’s dream matters, emphasising the need to eradicate the scourge of segregation and exclusion from schools to which Kadir so often referred in his work. The conclusion reflects on the evolution that social justice leadership has taken so far and looks to the future by considering the emergence of networking as a useful ally at the service of education for social justice, which is making a true difference on the road to a more socially just school.