Schools are one of the most important institutions in a society. It is actually termed to be the second home. It is one of the first places where the early and critical foundations of learning are built, and as early as three to four years old, a person goes and experiences life being a student.
A school is not just defined by the four walls of classroom. More than serving its academic purposes, some see it as a good source of income too. As what many consider, school is also often noted as an undying business. Teaching on the other hand is known to be the most stable job. As the cliché goes, as long as there are students, there would be schools.
It is therefore no surprise that schools sprung out like mushrooms almost everywhere. All kinds are observed, from day cares to play schools up to academies and institutes. In addition, the government exerts effort to reach the goal of providing free education through public schools. Its target is to build an elementary and a secondary school in every barangay. Schools in the country are also open for changes as they are challenged to grab every opportunity to ensure the success of every student in the country.
One of the recent developments in schools in the Philippines is the implementation of the twelve year basic education program known as K-12. This advancement aims for the Philippine education system to be at par with the standards set by other countries not just in the number of years but in academic excellence as well. Clearly, there is no other path schools would trod but to more improvements.
Efforts to improve education relate directly to the quality of leadership provided in the schools. In study after study, it has been shown that the one determinant of excellence in public schooling is the leadership of an individual - the school principal. Research on effective schools strongly supports the concept that the school principal is the key figure in a school's success or failure.
Bibliography: * Jenlink, Patrick M., ed. 2000. Marching into a New Millennium. Lanham, MD: Scarecrow. * Laffey, J. L. (1980). The role of the elementary school principal in the school reading program: Research and Practice. Reading Teacher, pp.632-636. * Seyfarth, John T. 1999. The Principalship: New Leadership for New Challenges. Upper Saddle River, NJ: Merrill. * Ubben, Gerald C.; Hughes, Larry W.; and Norris, Cynthia J. 2001. The Principal: Creative Leadership for Effective Schools, 4th edition. Boston: Allyn and Bacon.