Piloting in a changing society

Abstract

In most school systems piloting belongs to school officials (executive boards, principals, directors of institutions that train teachers), who are supposed to show leadership in the development of these systems. At the same time, the reasoning on their role and function still remains too often limited to some general principles, linked to their position within a hierarchical structure and to their job within a mandate (when it exists), instead of being founded on a thorough analysis of their real work. Now, from one country to another, or from one region to another in federalist countries, their work will varie according to the different legislations and political orientations, but also according to the predominant professional cultures: will thus schoolleaders take on very diverse functionings and forms : they will be either lonely decision makers, or members of an executive board, or a primus inter pares in a pedagogical team. To these variants one must add a number of aspects whose consequences are not always measured: most school officials have already been teachers themselves, thus leading to some sort of «complicity» with those they are supposed to steer. They always come after someone and they are supposed to leave their place to their successors at some point; they will then have to guarantee continuity while trying to leave a mark during their stay. Finally, they represent the authority that empowers them; they thus have to abide by an institutional culture, a conception of the role of the ministry, of local or regional authorities, institutions whose role and influence change from a country to another and from a school system to another.
To kickstart the debate on the issue of leadership that lies at the center of this SSRE congress, I will try to link the function of school officials either to the proper functioning of the school system, or to its continuing modernisation. I shall also try to show that, given the less and less bearable gap between the declared objectives of the school and its achievements, innovations seem a priority. From this point of view, steering in a changing society means piloting continuing transformations, be they the result of the evolution of social demands, of changes in education policy, of the evolution of knowledge, or of the needs of new school, cultural and economic audiences.