The School Principal in Brazil and the Expectations of His or Her Performance in the Light of the Different Currents of School Administration

Proceedings of The 4th International Conference on Teaching, Learning and Education

Year: 2021

DOI:

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The School Principal in Brazil and the Expectations of His or Her Performance in the Light of the Different Currents of School Administration

Joyce Mary Adam , Lígia Maria Sciarra Bissoli

 

ABSTRACT: 

The present paper aims to discuss, in a historical perspective, the identity of the school principal in Brazil in the light of the different currents of thought of the school administration. It is considered that from the moment that a complexification of the school institution occurs, especially when education becomes a significant element of social and economic development and starts to be considered as a social and universal right, there is an increase in the rationalization of administrative processes in schools. This reality is no different in Brazil and in this way the studies that have been developed in the rest of the world promote reflexes in the practices, theories and identity of the school principals, mainly from the 30’s when many of the administrative theories are brought by Brazilian educators. The reflection presented here is the result of a bibliographic and documentary research, which has as source documents on the Brazilian educational policy related to the establishment of the functions attributed to the school principal and texts by Brazilian and international educators about the subject. As a conclusion, the differences in the profile of the principal, ranging from a purely bureaucratic, centralized, to a more decentralized and participatory performance within the perspective of democratic management. In the meantime, it was observed that, currently, the profile of the school principal is linked to a managerial perspective, related to the overvaluation of performativity as a technique or skills to obtain systems efficiency.

Keywords: Professional identity; school principals’ profile; school administration.