Citizenleaderlab – Partners for Possibility (CLL-PfP) issued awards to 16 West Coast and Atlantis principals and business partners at a ceremony at Myrtledene restaurant in Malmesbury on Friday 22 September, after they had completed a 12-month leadership development programme facilitated by CLL-PfP.
Thanks to sponsorships from FEMEF (primary sponsor), Swartland Wind and Sun, Swiss Re (Heike Moore) and partner contributions by Mpact (Minette Maritz), Swartland Gazette (Loraine Malan) and other independent contractors such as Ida Opperman, Nelius Volschenk, Kathy Lewis and Maydie Heath the programme was made possible.
The collaboration with principals and business partners on a year-long leadership development programme, supervised by a trained coach and facilitator with the partner serving as a “thinking partner”, makes it worth it.
CLL-PfP focuses on six facets, including educational inequality, leadership development, active citizenship, primary support, leadership capacity and cooperation between business, government and civilians, and believes it can change the structure of South Africans.
It is believed the programme can highlight inequities in the school system, allowing principals and students an equal chance in attaining economic productivity and maturity, providing scope and opportunity.
This initiative will not only create opportunities for school principals, but also address the country’s educational problems and create a more cohesive culture among ordinary South Africans.
After completing this programme principals will be able to participate in high-quality leadership development activities aimed at developing leadership capacity, which can lead to better educational outcomes for students.
In co-learning and co-action partnerships, CLL-PfP engages business leaders and principals and improves their leadership skills.
This is a rigorous leadership development programme, in which much of the learning and development takes place in co-learning and collaboration between business leaders and principals to address problems in schools and build leadership capabilities.
Not only does PfP address a need by facilitating leadership training sessions with school principals and business leaders, but it also empowers principals to enhance their schools’ reputation in the communities they serve by providing quality education for their youth. It also guarantees that corporate leaders share their leadership abilities with real-world experience in a meaningful environment.
Although many principals are excellent educators with innate leadership abilities, most lack the capacity or skills to apply such skills to difficult situations. According to CLL-PfP meeting such demands and capabilities is a significant undertaking, and is not insurmountable if the skills are there, based on private- sector experience and learnings, and support.
The participants said they found the programme very helpful will apply what they learnt to expand their expertise through collaboration, thanks to CLL-PfP.
School circuit managers Russell Andrews (Metro-North Education District 10) and Denver Walbrugh (West Coast Education District 1), among the initial participants, expressed their satisfaction with the CLL-PfP programme.
Merridy Edgson, a CLL-PfP facilitator, thinks it is a wonderful programme with many successful outcomes across the country.
