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The purpose of this qualitative paper is to explore Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) centre managers' understanding of instructional leadership. Leadership skills are sometimes developed on the job. However, instructional leadership requires vision, a sound managerial style, relevant knowledge, skills, organisational acumen, and self-development. While these skills fall under management rather than leadership, Early Childhood Care and Education centre leaders in rural areas must still ensure that their centres function smoothly. Due to the minimal research conducted on the Early Childhood Care and Education centre managers' understanding of instructional leadership of rural ECCE centres in South Africa, the study aims to highlight the challenges, knowledge, practices and support provided to ensuring instructional leadership is achieved in the centres. A qualitative research approach was conducted in the Early Childhood Care and Education centres in the Black settlement areas of the Gauteng Province. Five centre managers were purposively selected from five rural community settings and interviewed using face-to-face semi-structured interviews to generate data. Data were thematically analysed to get themes and subthemes. Findings reveal that Early Childhood Care and Education centre managers' understanding of instructional leadership was constrained by uneven funding, lack of support and training in ECCE centre management. The conclusion is that most managers rely on untrained, poorly remunerated practitioners for the daily operations in the centre. For Early Childhood Care and Education centres to be well managed for sustainable development, well-trained, informed, visionary, experienced, and critical-thinking leaders and practitioners are needed. The study may be helpful to centre managers, policy-makers and other stakeholders. [For the complete Volume 20 proceedings, see ED622631.]

This empirical paper reports on perceptions held by early childhood practitioners about leadership in a multicultural environment. The paper problematises leadership in early childhood development (ECD) centres dealing with diverse ethnic children from the Black South African communities. Among others, it discusses the attributes required for leading a multicultural ECD environment, to contribute to ECD centre effectiveness. Managing a multicultural community is complex, however experienced leaders appreciate the validity of differences and commit to managing a multicultural environment. This empirical paper employed qualitative semi-structured approach to interview managers and practitioners on perceptions held about ECD leadership in multicultural centres. The increasing demands and expectations on ECD centre leaders having learners from diverse cultures, languages and backgrounds, reveal preparation and support challenges. Achievement of positive perceptions may require training, support and resources, because their absence may in fact lead to heightened tensions and prejudices about leaders by practitioners. Recommendations are that ECD centre managers be supported by government to develop cultural pluralism, inter group harmony, and the ability to think, work, and live within a multicultural context. [For the complete Volume 19 proceedings, see ED613922.]

This conceptual paper draws on the understanding and application of institutional performance management system (IPMS) by managers in a higher education institution's department. Managers in HEIs [higher education institutions] are tasked to develop and support staff at all job levels and are accountable for their performance. The implementation of the IPMS in higher education institutions could enhance the growth and development of the department and its staff. The paper highlights practices of IPMS as well as identifies the successes and challenges in understanding and applying IPMS within HEIs, to provide a consolidated practical advice for universities in South Africa. Staff development and support are central to ensuring that commitments made, are seriously translated into relevant actions in the department. Such actions by the institution lay a strong foundation for improved performance. The purpose of the paper is to unpack and contextualise the understanding and application of institutional performance management system (IPMS) of staff, by recognising its merits depending on the context and circumstances where it is applied. This qualitative paper analysed literature studies that include books and articles written on performance management systems in higher education, to establish how performance data is used to improve institutional staff performance. Findings reveal that HEIs' performance criteria in IPMS, do not always serve to monitor and evaluate the department's progress on planned goals, objectives, and initiatives. The paper, therefore, serves as a foundational piece that highlights gaps in higher education institution managers' understanding and application of IPMS, for supporting and improving staff performance.

This paper explores academic promotion practices in higher education institutions. Promotion of faculty members of universities is one of the major mechanisms in maintaining and improving the quality and efficiency of higher education and research activities in the country. Appointment processes are therefore critical to institutional development; therefore, the study argues for the identification of successful practices by exploring the enablers and disablers within the institutional promotion process in South Africa. This qualitative conceptual paper used literature, not limited to books, articles and chapters written on higher education institutions' promotion practices. There is, however, limited research on institutional promotion practices for academic employees within the South African higher education institutions. The study argues for the identification of successful practices to ensure fair and equitable institutional promotion practices by exploring the enablers and disablers within the institutional promotion process in the South African higher education. The paper serves as a foundational piece in understanding that appointment practices can be regulated to ensure fairness and equity. The appointment practices highlight the importance of shifting academic staff profiles in ways that are more representative of a diverse democracy. The inclusion of South Africa demonstrates a gap that exists in the academic promotions within higher education institutions. Findings reveal power-play and micro-politicking within promotion practices in HEIs. The paper serves as a foundational piece in understanding the regulation of fairness and equity in academic appointment practices.

The purpose of this conceptual paper is to highlight challenges educators face in the practice of in loco parentis in South African public schools. Responsibilities of school educators in children's education are increased, while those of social institutions like the home, church and community are reduced. This responsibility known as the 'in loco parentis' principle, tasks educators to act in the place of a parent by carrying out legal responsibilities and functions in line with the Fundamental Rights of children in the Constitution of the Republic of South Africa (CRSA) of 1996. Educators ought to show care and supervision to learners in the same way a reasonable and prudent parent would; taking responsibility for the emotional, psychological and physical well-being of the learners to ensure there is no foreseeable risk of injury to the child. This parent-teacher relationship is unique and requires educators to exercise care that ensures protection of learners from harm and injury so that they are not rendered negligent while performing their tasks. Despite these laws put in place to protect both learners and educators, physical and psychological violence is a threat. This paper thus focuses on how educators' practice of in loco parentis ensures protection, security, safety and wellbeing of learners in South African public schools. Findings, reveal that the whole system of parent-teacher co-operation should be reorganized to balance the tasks of the school community. The study is significant for the realistic consideration of educators' in loco parentis practice amidst their teaching and administrative tasks. [For the complete Volume 16 proceedings, see ED586117.]