Reading 1.6 Planning for future leadership of schools: an Australian study. Journal of Educational Administration, 40(5) D’Arbon, T., Duignan, P. & Duncan, D. (2002)

There is growing evidence of a worldwide shortage of persons willing to apply for vacant principal positions in schools Catholic education systems in Australia concerned lack of ongoing well qualified principals. Need to develop a strategy to ensure these needs are met. However the lack of well qualified and highly motivated principals applying for positions is not solely within the Catholic structure..

The Principal and its challenges Leaders in contemporary educational organisations are confronted by external and internal challenges and expectations that make demands on their time expertise energies and emotional wellbeing. -Held accountable for their performance -Expected to comply to moral and ethical standards of practices. Corporate leaders feel ‘excessive managerialism’ and of having ‘to do more with less’

(Duignan and Collins, 2002) indicates that the most difficult challenges facing educational leaders present themselves as dilemmas, paradoxes or tensions. -People centred tensions and involving contestation of values and/or ethical contradictions. -Frequently had to make choices about people in situations where there are no obvious answer Principals were prepared and trained on management competencies but were not equipped to deal with such tensions.

Thus: The role and expectations for the principalship are increasing in intensity and complexity and are causing many principals to reflect on why they should continue to do the job or why aspiring principals might be discouraged from applying in the first place.

Lacey (2002) identified that school prinicipals are embedded in school communities which are becoming more demanding and are surrounded by a critical society.

Draper and McMichael (1998) UK research Identified that the decision to apply for principal ship was based on the balance of lifestyle, personal qualities and professional aspirations as well as the job itself.

Crows (1990) focussed on incentives and disincentives. Whereas James and Whiting’s (1998) findings suggested that principals were given a useful career as an anchorage.

Leadership in Catholic schools Catholic schools are affected not only by contextual stresses and dilemmas but also by factors peculiar to the Catholic Church and its response to a rapidly changing Catholic education system (Budge, 1994). Expected to take up the role as religious leader ( in some cases such a demand not all principals are ready to partake).

Why are more eligible people not applying for the principal ship in Catholic schools?