Come April 1, 2013, principals of over 13,500 schools in over 30 states across the country following the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum would spend at least a week in the coming year to train themselves in effective leadership and school management.
In what is seen as one of the biggest initiatives mandated by CBSE to take principals, vice principals and head masters and mistresses back to school, they have been mandated to compulsorily spend at least seven days learning a range of skills oriented and behavioural programmes. This programme would be offered in both residential and a non-residential format.
Divided into two parts of behavioral learning on leadership, that would include among others unraveling leadership styles, goal setting, collaboration and team building, vision building, time management, conflict resolution. The technical learning would bring school heads upto date on many reforms and policies of CBSE and Government like Right to Education, students not being marked only on their final examination marks but through Comprehensive and Continuous Evaluation (CCE), using technology for both school administration and enhancing learning and financial management.
On being assigned to offer this programme, Santhosh Babu, founding managing director, Organisation Development Alternatives, said: “We are delighted to partner this breakthrough initiative of CBSE that will empower principals to act as chief executives of their respective schools and strengthen their leadership capabilities.”
According to CBSE official spokesperson, “In keeping with the changing times we believe the school principals, too, need to expand their leadership capability to manage the entire education process. The leadership and school management programme will empower them to play a bigger role in leading their schools and to improve the overall education process,” the spokesperson added.