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In this article we report on an investigation into developing people and serving the community at faith-based schools through a servant leadership theory lens. Relevant literature was reviewed, and data were collected from school leaders by means of individual semi-structured interviews. Twelve participants were purposively selected from schools classified as top-performing schools in Gauteng, a province in South Africa. The interviews with these participants were audiotaped and transcribed, and the data analysed by using a process of abductive data analysis. The following measures were employed to review the servant leadership practices of faith-based leaders: being a serving leader, fostering people growth, and enhancing community relationships. Overall, principals were found to be effective leaders involved in a hands-on manner in both task-orientated and person-orientated activities. The servant leadership conception whereby "other" interests are regarded as more important than own interests serves as the basis for people development and there is a clear awareness that the enhancement of community relationships is a key facet in the communication that takes place between school principals and community members. The participants also showed concern for school-led development activities. It was evident that participating school staff were personally involved in facilitating learning activities such as collaborative workgroups and workshops and in creating a supporting structure for staff development. Apart from recommending that principals' leadership behaviour in the abovementioned areas is consolidated, we strongly support their involvement in related matters such as coping with contextual realities and enhancing community relationships. The improvement of community relationships is eventually a challenging task to be exercised by principals within the social, political and demographic contexts of faith-based schools.

This article reports on an exploration into the human relationships practices of school leaders at faith-based schools as viewed through a servant leadership lens. The researchers employed a qualitative research design. Data were collected by means of individual semi-structured interviews and focus group discussions. The interviews were audio-taped and transcribed, and the data were analysed using a process of deductive data analysis. The following themes were employed to understand the human relationship practices of faith-based school leaders: teamwork, collaborative environment, development of others, and enhancing values-based attributes in day-to-day leadership. Overall, the principals were found to be efficacious leaders who were involved in a hands- on manner in both task-orientated and person-orientated activities, such as daily managerial and leadership functions with a special focus on the servant leadership ideal. Among the participants, there was a common understanding that leadership was not practiced as an individual action but was practiced by involving other school members. We strongly recommend that the ongoing professional development of school principals should include components related to servant leadership in their day-to-day leadership practices.

This paper provides an overview of the various data sets pertaining to education in South Africa that are informing or could inform policy making in education. The paper serves as an inventory for anyone interested in understanding what data is available, how it may be accessed, what the quality of the data is, and in what formats it may be accessed. The paper is divided into three parts. The first part provides a description of existing education data sets and the basic data elements contained in each of these data sets. When discussing each of the existing education data sets, the paper addresses the quality of the education data available in South Africa. The first part also refers to the policy implications and the important role that data plays in policy formulation. No information system on its own is comprehensive enough to provide all the information needed in strategic decision-making. Hence, part two of this paper discusses the need for data integration as an important data management strategy. The third part examines the effectiveness of implementing a learner unit record system nationally in comparison with the EMIS system that is currently in place and that is based on aggregate or summary institution-level data.

This paper reports on an investigation into management in Mathematics classrooms. Classroom management is contextualised in terms of the managerial actions required to manage classrooms effectively and the extent to which effective classroom management responds to contextual challenges. Relevant literature is reviewed, and theoretical perspectives with investigative value for classroom management are examined. Data was collected using individual semi-structured interviews with four Mathematics department heads and with five teachers per school, for the four focus group interviews. The interviews were audio-taped, transcribed and the data analysed using a process of abductive data analysis as suggested by McMillan and Schumacher (2010; "Research in education: Evidence-based inquiry," 4th ed., Pearson Education). The participants in this study supported the use of different overlapping management styles. Teachers apply these styles by introducing useful and suitable management actions in their classroom practice. It was found that organising group work and motivating learners are actions that encompass the majority of functions related to the management of teaching and learning in Mathematics classrooms. Contextual influences like teachers' professional competencies, curriculum implementation, the maintenance of facilities and the availability of resources and learning materials were highlighted as factors that both support and constrain the effectiveness of classroom management.